Words as Windows to Thought: The Case of Object Representation

Languages differ in how they express thought, leading some researchers to suggest that speakers of different languages perceive objects differently. Other researchers, in contrast, argue that words are windows to thought – reflecting its structure without modifying it. Here, we explore the case study of object representation. Recent studies of Japanese, Chinese, and English indicate that speakers of these languages do not perceive objects differently, despite their grammatical differences. Grammatical structures provide frames for words that can select among meanings without affecting underlying object perception.Psycholog

Climate drives loss of phylogenetic diversity in a grassland community

© 2019 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. While climate change has already profoundly influenced biodiversity through local extinctions, range shifts, and altered interactions, its effects on the evolutionary history contained within sets of coexisting species—or phylogenetic community diversity—have yet to be documented. Phylogenetic community diversity may be a proxy for the diversity of functional strategies that can help sustain ecological systems in the face of disturbances. Under climatic warming, phylogenetic diversity may be especially vulnerable to decline in plant communities in warm, water-limited regions, as intensified water stress eliminates drought-intolerant species that may be relicts of past wetter climates and may be distantly related to coexisting species. Here, we document a 19-y decline of phylogenetic diversity in a grassland community as moisture became less abundant and predictable at a critical time of the year. This decline was strongest in native forbs, particularly those with high specific leaf area, a trait indicating drought sensitivity. This decline occurred at the small spatial scale where species interact, but the larger regional community has so far been buffered against loss of phylogenetic diversity by its high levels of physical and biotic heterogeneity

Reduction of Amine Emissions from an Aqueous Amine Carbon Dioxide Capture System Using Charged Colloidal Gas Aphrons

The present invention includes a system and process to reduce amine mist emissions (or MEA) from carbon capture systems using colloidal gas aphrons (CGA), and includes a method for separating and recovering an amine solvent (e.g., in the form of entrained droplets/mist and/or fine aerosol particles) from a carbon dioxide scrubbed flue gas stream exiting a carbon capture system (e.g., oil-fired power plants, coal-fired power plants, and/or natural gas combined cycle plants)

Relaxed States in Relativistic Multi-Fluid Plasmas

The evolution equations for a plasma comprising multiple species of charged fluids with relativistic bulk and thermal motion are derived. It is shown that a minimal fluid coupling model allows a natural casting of the evolution equations in terms of generalized vorticity which treats the fluid motion and electromagnetic fields equally. Equilibria can be found using a variational principle based on minimizing the total enstrophy subject to energy and helicity constraints. A subset of these equilibria correspond to minimum energy. The equations for these states are presented with example solutions showing the structure of the relaxed states.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Retesting a Model of the Deming Management Method

Anderson et al. (1994) developed a model of the theory of quality management underlying the Deming management method; Anderson et al. (1995) tested that model using path analysis. They used data from an existing database collected from 41 manufacturing plants in the electronics, machinery, and transportation industries with 100 or more employees. In this study, which retests their model, data were gathered from over 100 manufacturing and service companies of all sizes across the US and Canada. The measures used in the original study were modified to apply to both service and manufacturing organizations. The data were analysed using similar statistical analysis procedures, and comparisons were made with the results of the Anderson et al. (1995) study. The results showed strong support for the model developed by Anderson et al. (1994) with the exception of one construct, Employee Fulfilment. The findings suggest that implementing a continuous improvement effort without first implementing Visionary Leadership, Cooperation, Learning, and Process Management is a recipe for failure

Neurodegenerative Diseases Associated with Mutations in <em>SLC25A46</em>

Neurodegenerative diseases present substantial clinical challenges. Their processes have been linked with various genetic causes, including mutations of genes encoding proteins associated with mitochondrial dynamics. Biallelic mutations in SLC25A46 have been identified as novel causes of a wide spectrum of neurological diseases with recessive inheritance, including optic atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy (CMT) type 2A neuropathy, Leigh syndrome, progressive myoclonic ataxia, and lethal congenital pontocerebellar hypoplasia. SLC25A46 (solute carrier family 25 member 46) is a membrane transit protein that is expressed in the mitochondrial outer membrane where it plays a major role in mitochondrial dynamics and cristae maintenance. This chapter presents recent findings on: (1) the clinical heterogeneity of SLC25A46-related neuropathies; (2) the SLC25A46 mutation spectrum and associated genotype-phenotype correlation; and (3) pathophysiological functions of SLC25A46 as characterized in cells and mouse models. A better understanding of the etiology of SLC25146-linked diseases will elucidate therapeutic perspectives