A cognitive man and a language representation : some observations on the ways of mental record of information

The psychological studies show that a man stores information in his mind, in the form o f cognitive-semantic models or schemes. The aim o f the following paper is an attempt to systematize approaches and ideas concerning the information representation in language. This research will present the psychological findings which provided some new methods o f a language description, then some o f the notions (introduced by G. Fauconnier, Ch. Fillmore, J.-P. Descles, M. Johnson, G. Lakoff, R. Langacker, J. Sowa, R. Schank and R. Abelson), which describe the semantic structure will be discussed. The author will try to demonstrate that this variability o f theories and ideas refers in fact to one and the same problem, which is the conceptual record and representation o f perceived reality, which actually takes the symbolic form anchored in language

Airway clearance techniques for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Republic of Ireland

Background and Objectives: Airway clearance techniques (ACTs) are used by physiotherapists with the purpose of clearing sputum from bronchial airways. They are commonly prescribed for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), however large variability in practice is commonly observed. This study aimed to explore current physiotherapy practice regarding ACTs for people with AECOPD in the Republic of Ireland. Method: An online survey was distributed to physiotherapy clinicians via direct email and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. Main survey themes, identified from previous studies using the same survey tool, included current practice in relation to use of ACTs, perception of their effectiveness, clinical reasoning and awareness of the literature and guidelines. For the purpose of this study, ACTs were defined as techniques used by a physiotherapist for the purpose of clearing sputum from patients’ airways. Results: 202 surveys were distributed and seventy responses (35%) were received. The majority of respondents (n = 56, 80%) reported prescribing ACTs for more than 60% of patients with AECOPD, the most common techniques being physical activity (n = 65, 93%) and active cycle of breathing techniques (n = 53, 90%). Sputum management (n = 66, 94%) was the most commonly reported indicator for use of ACTs. The majority of physiotherapists (n = 42, 60%) reported being unsure of the literature regarding ACTs in AECOPD. Conclusion: The response rate to this survey was low, however results show that physiotherapists in the Republic of Ireland regularly prescribe ACTs for patients with AECOPD. Physical activity and active cycle of breathing techniques were the most commonly used ACTs and perceived to be the most effective techniques in AECOPD, with sputum management the most commonly reported indicator for use. Further research is required to explore not only physiotherapists clinical reasoning in relation to the use of ACTs for AECOPD and the perceptions of their effectiveness, but also the lack of awareness of the literature and guidelines

Les notions de prototype et d`invariant sémantique dans l'analyse des catégories grammaticales. La linguistique cognitive et l'enseignement des langues étrangères

An important issue in teaching foreign languages, especially grammar, is the choice of an adequate method. Teachers often come across numerous problems connected with introducing and explaining to their students the grammatical phenomena that do not occur in their native languages. The author presents the cognitive description of the imparfait past tense and the subjunctive mood in French and shows the advantages of this method. The holistic approach toward a grammatical phenomenon and introducing the notion of the prototype and the semantic invariant can make it easier for students to grasp the nature and functioning o f the phenomenon. Thanks to it they can better use the language and at the same time see the differences in the ways different languages conceptualize the world

The Tat system for membrane translocation of folded proteins recruits the membrane-stabilizing Psp machinery in Escherichia coli

Tat systems transport folded proteins across energized membranes of bacteria, archaea, and plant plastids. In Escherichia coli, TatBC complexes recognize the transported proteins, and TatA complexes are recruited to facilitate transport. We achieved an abstraction of TatA from membranes without use of detergents and observed a co-purification of PspA, a mem-brane- stress response protein. The N-terminal transmembrane domain of TatA was required for the interaction. Electron microscopy displayed TatA complexes in direct contact with PspA. PspB and PspC were important for the TatA-PspA contact. The activator protein PspF was not involved in the PspATatA interaction, demonstrating that basal levels of PspA already interact with TatA. Elevated TatA levels caused membrane stress that induced a strictly PspBC- and PspF-dependent up-regulation of PspA. TatA complexes were found to destabilize membranes under these conditions. At native TatA levels, PspA deficiency clearly affected anaerobic TMAO respiratory growth, suggesting that energetic costs for transport of large Tat substrates such as TMAO reductase can become growth limiting in the absence of PspA. The physiological role of PspA recruitment to TatA may therefore be the control of membrane stress at active translocons. © 2012 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc

Językoznawstwo kognitywne w nauczaniu języków obcych : projekt gramatyki wizualnej na przykładzie francuskiego trybu "subjonctif"

The article focuses on a visual grammar project, a strategy which uses notions of cognitive and semantic schemes, the use of prototype and semantic invariant described by cognitive linguistics. The article also includes suggestions concerning the use of the method to teach the French subjunctive

Les prépositions italiennes di et da et la préposition française de. Une étude contrastive dans un cadre cognitif

The aim of the article is to examine the functioning of Italian prepositions di and da and the French preposition de. Given their common Latin origin, it can be noted that some of the uses of the French preposition de are divided between at least two Italian prepositions. The author of the article briefly presents the state of the research in this field and then proposes a reflection in the context of cognitive linguistics. The functioning of the prepositions in question is presented in relation to the language image of the world, which is formed at the level of collective experience, in relation to both conceptual and linguistic levels, where the predication is determined (semantic invariant, usage preferences). It also refers to the discursive level, where the linguistic choices of the speakers are made

Le subjonctif français et le congiuntivo italien dans une perspective cognitive. Une ou deux images du monde?

The aim of the study is to carry out a comparative analysis of subjonctif and congiuntivo mocxts traditionaIly understood as a one grammatical category but at the same time belonging to two difTerent language systems. The study of principal difTerent uses maltes the basis for constructing appropriate cognitive-semantic schemes and distinguishing prototype uses. It also seems interesting to define semantic invariant, if one exists, for these categories. Such a study will help to understand the nature and functioning of moods, will show the difTerence and will emphasise the role of environment, culture and experîence in forming languages, their development and their influence on human relations

L'evenement en tant qu'effet de la conceptualisation d'une situation : quelques observations sur le rapport entre aspect semantique, aspect grammatical, aspect syntaxique et la facon de conceptualiser la situation

In the following article we look into the question of the aspectuality — such aspectuality which can be observed at the grammatical, semantic and syntactic-discourse levels. The investigation is set in the Framework of cognitive linguistics, especially in J.-P. Desclés’ conception of the event and R. Langacker’s cognitive grammar. Upon presenting various points of view concerning the notion of the event and the category of the aspect, we propose analysis of the sentences which are the result of the process conceptualization of the events and then those sentences which stem from the event conceptualization of the states and processes. We observe that the aspectuality as an effect of processing situational data already forms at the cognitive level. In other words, the event dimension of the proposition content is not limited to the mere addition of various aspects (these aspects are often mutually exclusive), but it reflects the simultaneous configuration of the aspectual, temporal, actant and modal data at the conceptualization level

Il doppio nell`uso dei modi. L`indicativo e il congiuntivo negli stessi contesti linguistici

The use o f moods in Italian is a very interesting problem but also difficult taking into account the complexity o f phenomena which must be analysed at the same time. It especially concents contexts in which different moods can appear alternatively. The aim o f the article is to examine contexts in which it is possible to use indicative and congiuntivo moods. The possibility o f choice between moods would mean the duality o f human nature which hesitates between affirmation and keeping a distance to that what makes the content o f an utterance. Employing the research mechanism described by cognitive linguistics that is, among others, notions such as prototype, semantic invariant or scheme and the methodology which is based on relationships existing between recognition, semantics and grammar it seems that the choice o f moods is the result stemming from information processing and based on m an’s cognitive abilities and his knowledge about the world - indicative would reflect locu to r’s responsibility for the truth value o f utterance content w hereas congiuntivo w ould be a language sign o f distance position towards that what he says