Processing Narrative Coherence: Towards a top-down model of discourse.

Models of discourse and narration elaborated within the classical compositional framework have been characterized as bottom-up models, according to which discourse analysis proceeds incrementally, from phrase and sentence local meaning to discourse global meaning. In this paper we will argue against these models. Assuming as a case study the issue of discourse coherence, we suggest that the assessment of coherence is a top-down process, in which the construction of a situational interpretation at the global meaning level guides local meaning analysis. In support of our hypothesis, we explore the role of executive functions (brain functions involved in planning and organization of goal-oriented behaviors) in coherence’s establishment, discussing the results of several studies on narrative abilities of patients with brain injuries. We suggest that, compared to other models of discourse processing focused on comprehension, our model is a viable candidate for an integrated account of discourse comprehension and production

Reading Words Hurts: The impact of pain sensitivity on people’s ratings of pain-related words

This study explores the relation between pain sensitivity and the cognitive processing of words. 130 participants evaluated the pain-relatedness of a total of 600 two-syllabic nouns, and subsequently reported on their own pain sensitivity. The results demonstrate that pain-sensitive people (based on their self-report) associate words more strongly with pain than less sensitive people. In particular, concrete nouns like syringe, wound, knife, and cactus, are considered to be more pain-related for those who are more pain-sensitive. We discuss our results in the light of three theoretical frameworks – cognitive bias, prototype theory, embodied account. We argue that the latter is best suited to explain the results of this study in the sense in which it implies the principle of body specificity, according to which different bodily characteristics lead to corresponding differences in the way in which people construct concepts and word meanings

Chapter 8 Constructing a Wider View on Memory

Memory perspectives on past events allegedly take one of two shapes. In field memories, we recall episodes from a first-person point of view, while in observer memories, we look at a past scene from a third-person perspective. But this mere visuospatial dichotomy faces several practical and conceptual challenges. First, this binary distinction is not exhaustive. Second, this characterization insufficiently accounts for the phenomenology of observer memories. Third, the focus on the visual aspect of memory perspective neglects emotional, agential, and self-related social aspects. Fourth, the focus on the time of recall neglects the fact that visual, emotional, agential, and social aspects of perspective can also be dissociated in the original experience. In this chapter, we move away from the standard visual dichotomy. Instead, we propose that memory perspective is better understood along four lines: visual, agential, emotional, and social. Drawing on empirical research, we argue that these dimensions predict a disposition to recall a past event based on the present situation of the memorizer. This account supports seeing episodic memory as a natural kind, supported by scenario construction mechanisms and minimal memory traces. By remapping the classic distinction between field and observer perspectives along four dimensions, our proposal provides explanatory advantages and secures practical gains by enabling testable hypotheses

Cognitive Foundations of the Narrative Self

Abstract: In this paper we tackle the issue of the role of narrative language in the constitution of human subjectivity. There are at least two different approaches to this issue. The first one is consistent with the view that language has a unique constitutive role in cognition. According to this account, human subjectivity is a by-product of the advent of language. We will refer to it as linguistic idealism and will argue that, in spite of its popularity in the philosophy and social sciences, this view is completely unfounded. We will defend a second approach, which acknowledges the relevant role of language in human subjectivity but interprets this role in the light of a relation of coevolution between language and cognition. We will suggest that this relation is asimmetric and the priority is given to the cognitive foundations of human sense of the self. The influence of language on human subjectivity is then analyzed in terms of a retroactive effect. We will argue that the relation of coevolution between language and cognition provides an interpretative tool that allows us to account for human subjectivity in accordance with darwinian naturalism.Keywords: Language; Mental Time Travel; Metarepresentation; Narrative Self I fondamenti cognitivi dell'identità narrativaRiassunto: In questo articolo affrontiamo il problema del ruolo che il linguaggio narrativo svolge nella costituzione della soggettività umana. Vi sono almeno due differenti approcci a questo problema. Il primo approccio si basa sull’idea che il linguaggio svolge un peculiare ruolo costitutivo nella cognizione; in quest’ottica, la soggettività umana è un sottoprodotto dell’avvento del linguaggio. Definiremo questa tesi “idealismo linguistico” e sosterremo che, malgrado la sua popolarità in filosofia e nelle scienze sociali, è completamente priva di fondamento. Difenderemo allora un secondo approccio, che riconosce il ruolo significativo del linguaggio nella soggettività umana ma lo intende alla luce della relazione di coevoluzione fra linguaggio e cognizione. Questa relazione è asimmetrica: la priorità va assegnata ai fondamenti cognitivi del senso di sé umano. L’influenza del linguaggio sulla soggettività umana sarà quindi analizzata come effetto retroattivo. La nostra conclusione è che la relazione di coevoluzione fra linguaggio e cognizione offre uno strumento interpretativo che consente di spiegare la soggettività umana in accordo col naturalismo darwiniano.Parole chiave: Linguaggio; Mental Time Travel; Metarappresentazione; Identità narrativa.

Cognitive Foundations of the Narrative Self

Abstract: In this paper we tackle the issue of the role of narrative language in the constitution of human subjectivity. There are at least two different approaches to this issue. The first one is consistent with the view that language has a unique constitutive role in cognition. According to this account, human subjectivity is a by-product of the advent of language. We will refer to it as linguistic idealism and will argue that, in spite of its popularity in the philosophy and social sciences, this view is completely unfounded. We will defend a second approach, which acknowledges the relevant role of language in human subjectivity but interprets this role in the light of a relation of coevolution between language and cognition. We will suggest that this relation is asimmetric and the priority is given to the cognitive foundations of human sense of the self. The influence of language on human subjectivity is then analyzed in terms of a retroactive effect. We will argue that the relation of coevolution between language and cognition provides an interpretative tool that allows us to account for human subjectivity in accordance with darwinian naturalism.Keywords: Language; Mental Time Travel; Metarepresentation; Narrative Self I fondamenti cognitivi dell'identità narrativaRiassunto: In questo articolo affrontiamo il problema del ruolo che il linguaggio narrativo svolge nella costituzione della soggettività umana. Vi sono almeno due differenti approcci a questo problema. Il primo approccio si basa sull’idea che il linguaggio svolge un peculiare ruolo costitutivo nella cognizione; in quest’ottica, la soggettività umana è un sottoprodotto dell’avvento del linguaggio. Definiremo questa tesi “idealismo linguistico” e sosterremo che, malgrado la sua popolarità in filosofia e nelle scienze sociali, è completamente priva di fondamento. Difenderemo allora un secondo approccio, che riconosce il ruolo significativo del linguaggio nella soggettività umana ma lo intende alla luce della relazione di coevoluzione fra linguaggio e cognizione. Questa relazione è asimmetrica: la priorità va assegnata ai fondamenti cognitivi del senso di sé umano. L’influenza del linguaggio sulla soggettività umana sarà quindi analizzata come effetto retroattivo. La nostra conclusione è che la relazione di coevoluzione fra linguaggio e cognizione offre uno strumento interpretativo che consente di spiegare la soggettività umana in accordo col naturalismo darwiniano.Parole chiave: Linguaggio; Mental Time Travel; Metarappresentazione; Identità narrativa.

Constructing a wider view on memory: Beyond the dichotomy of field and observer perspectives

Memory perspectives on past events allegedly take one of two shapes. In field memories, we recall episodes from a first-person point of view, while in observer memories, we look at a past scene from a third-person perspective. But this mere visuospatial dichotomy faces several practical and conceptual challenges. First, this binary distinction is not exhaustive. Second, this characterization insufficiently accounts for the phenomenology of observer memories. Third, the focus on the visual aspect of memory perspective neglects emotional, agential, and self-related social aspects. Fourth, the focus on the time of recall neglects the fact that visual, emotional, agential, and social aspects of perspective can also be dissociated in the original experience. In this chapter, we move away from the standard visual dichotomy. Instead, we propose that memory perspective is better understood along four lines: visual, agential, emotional, and social. Drawing on empirical research, we argue that these dimensions predict a disposition to recall a past event based on the present situation of the memorizer. This account supports seeing episodic memory as a natural kind, supported by scenario construction mechanisms and minimal memory traces. By remapping the classic distinction between field and observer perspectives along four dimensions, our proposal provides explanatory advantages and secures practical gains by enabling testable hypotheses

ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY SYNTHESIS OF FLAVONE AND ITS EFFECT ON LETTUCE-APHID INTERACTION

La búsqueda de compuestos químicos que sean eficaces para el control de plagas y a su vez inocuos para la salud del hombre y el ambiente se presenta como una necesidad. En el presente trabajo se informa un procedimiento simple y compatible con el ambiente para la preparación de un compuesto perteneciente a la familia de los fenilpropanoides (flavona), a través de ciclodeshidratación de 1-(2-hidroxifenil)-3-fenil-1,3-propanodiona en condiciones de impacto ambiental reducido (síntesis en ausencia de solvente, catalizada con ácido sólido recuperable y utilizando calefacción mediante microondas y con tiempos reducidos), y la evaluación del crecimiento de una especie hortícola (lechuga) por la acción de este compuesto. El porcentaje de geminación de las semillas de lechuga disminuyó con 400 y 500 ppm de flavona respecto del control, mientras que a partir de 200 ppm de flavona se observó un menor crecimiento de las plántulas debido a la disminución de la longitud del hipocótilo. Aunque no se observaron efectos por contacto directo de la flavona sobre el cuerpo de los áfidos, pudo identificarse repelencia del insecto en discos de lechuga embebidos en 500 ppm de flavona.The search for chemical compounds that are effective for pest control and in turn harmless to human health and the environment is needed. In this work, a simple and environmentally compatible procedure is reported for the preparation of a compound belonging to the phenylpropanoid (flavone) family, through cyclodehydration of 1- (2-hydroxyphenyl) -3-phenyl-1, 3-propanedione under conditions of reduced environmental impact (synthesis in the absence of solvent, catalyzed with recoverable solid acid and using microwave heating and with reduced times), and the evaluation of the growth of a horticultural species (lettuce) by the action of this compound. The percentage of germination of lettuce seeds decreased with 400 and 500 ppm of flavone compared to the control, while from 200 ppm of flavone a lower growth of the seedlings was observed due to the decrease in the length of the hypocotyl. Although no effects were observed by direct contact of flavone on the aphid body, insect repellency could be identified in lettuce discs embedded in 500 ppm flavone

Environmental-friendly synthesis of flavone and its effect on lettuce-aphid interaction

La búsqueda de compuestos químicos que sean eficaces para el control de plagas y a su vez inocuos para la salud del hombre y el ambiente se presenta como una necesidad. En el presente trabajo se informa un procedimiento simple y compatible con el ambiente para la preparación de un compuesto perteneciente a la familia de los fenilpropanoides (flavona), a través de ciclodeshidratación de 1-(2-hidroxifenil)-3-fenil-1,3-propanodiona en condiciones de impacto ambiental reducido (síntesis en ausencia de solvente, catalizada con ácido sólido recuperable y utilizando calefacción mediante microondas y con tiempos reducidos), y la evaluación del crecimiento de una especie hortícola (lechuga) por la acción de este compuesto. El porcentaje de geminación de las semillas de lechuga disminuyó con 400 y 500 ppm de flavona respecto del control, mientras que a partir de 200 ppm de flavona se observó un menor crecimiento de las plántulas debido a la disminución de la longitud del hipocótilo. Aunque no se observaron efectos por contacto directo de la flavona sobre el cuerpo de los áfidos, pudo identificarse repelencia del insecto en discos de lechuga embebidos en 500 ppm de flavona.The search for chemical compounds that are effective for pest control and in turn harmless to human health and the environment is needed. In this work, a simple and environmentally compatible procedure is reported for the preparation of a compound belonging to the phenylpropanoid (flavone) family, through cyclodehydration of 1- (2-hydroxyphenyl) -3-phenyl-1, 3-propanedione under conditions of reduced environmental impact (synthesis in the absence of solvent, catalyzed with recoverable solid acid and using microwave heating and with reduced times), and the evaluation of the growth of a horticultural species (lettuce) by the action of this compound. The percentage of germination of lettuce seeds decreased with 400 and 500 ppm of flavone compared to the control, while from 200 ppm of flavone a lower growth of the seedlings was observed due to the decrease in the length of the hypocotyl. Although no effects were observed by direct contact of flavone on the aphid body, insect repellency could be identified in lettuce discs embedded in 500 ppm flavone.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

A pair of TESS planets spanning the radius valley around the nearby mid-M dwarf LTT 3780

We present the confirmation of two new planets transiting the nearby mid-M dwarf LTT 3780 (TIC 36724087, TOI-732, $V=13.07$, $K_s=8.204$, $R_s$=0.374 R$_{\odot}$, $M_s$=0.401 M$_{\odot}$, d=22 pc). The two planet candidates are identified in a single TESS sector and are validated with reconnaissance spectroscopy, ground-based photometric follow-up, and high-resolution imaging. With measured orbital periods of $P_b=0.77$ days, $P_c=12.25$ days and sizes $r_{p,b}=1.33\pm 0.07$ R$_{\oplus}$, $r_{p,c}=2.30\pm 0.16$ R$_{\oplus}$, the two planets span the radius valley in period-radius space around low mass stars thus making the system a laboratory to test competing theories of the emergence of the radius valley in that stellar mass regime. By combining 63 precise radial-velocity measurements from HARPS and HARPS-N, we measure planet masses of $m_{p,b}=2.62^{+0.48}_{-0.46}$ M$_{\oplus}$ and $m_{p,c}=8.6^{+1.6}_{-1.3}$ M$_{\oplus}$, which indicates that LTT 3780b has a bulk composition consistent with being Earth-like, while LTT 3780c likely hosts an extended H/He envelope. We show that the recovered planetary masses are consistent with predictions from both photoevaporation and from core-powered mass loss models. The brightness and small size of LTT 3780, along with the measured planetary parameters, render LTT 3780b and c as accessible targets for atmospheric characterization of planets within the same planetary system and spanning the radius valley.Comment: Accepted to AJ. 8 figures, 6 tables. CSV file of the RV measurements (i.e. Table 2) are included in the source cod

An Ultra-short Period Rocky Super-Earth with a Secondary Eclipse and a Neptune-like Companion around K2-141

Ultra-short period (USP) planets are a class of low mass planets with periods shorter than one day. Their origin is still unknown, with photo-evaporation of mini-Neptunes and in-situ formation being the most credited hypotheses. Formation scenarios differ radically in the predicted composition of USP planets, it is therefore extremely important to increase the still limited sample of USP planets with precise and accurate mass and density measurements. We report here the characterization of an USP planet with a period of 0.28 days around K2-141 (EPIC 246393474), and the validation of an outer planet with a period of 7.7 days in a grazing transit configuration. We derived the radii of the planets from the K2 light curve and used high-precision radial velocities gathered with the HARPS-N spectrograph for mass measurements. For K2-141b we thus inferred a radius of $1.51\pm0.05~R_\oplus$ and a mass of $5.08\pm0.41~M_\oplus$, consistent with a rocky composition and lack of a thick atmosphere. K2-141c is likely a Neptune-like planet, although due to the grazing transits and the non-detection in the RV dataset, we were not able to put a strong constraint on its density. We also report the detection of secondary eclipses and phase curve variations for K2-141b. The phase variation can be modeled either by a planet with a geometric albedo of $0.30 \pm 0.06$ in the Kepler bandpass, or by thermal emission from the surface of the planet at $\sim$3000K. Only follow-up observations at longer wavelengths will allow us to distinguish between these two scenarios.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures., accepted for publication in A