405 research outputs found
Universal Dimensions of Meaning Derived from Semantic Relations among Words and Senses: Mereological Completeness vs. Ontological Generality
A key to semantic analysis is a precise and practically useful definition of meaning that is general for all domains of knowledge. We previously introduced the notion of weak semantic map: a metric space allocating concepts along their most general (universal) semantic characteristics while at the same time ignoring other, domain-specific aspects of their meanings. Here we address questions of the number, quality, and mutual independence of the weak semantic dimensions. Specifically, we employ semantic relationships not previously used for weak semantic mapping, such as holonymy/meronymy (“is-part/member-of”), and we compare maps constructed from word senses to those constructed from words. We show that the “completeness” dimension derived from the holonym/meronym relation is independent of, and practically orthogonal to, the “abstractness” dimension derived from the hypernym-hyponym (“is-a”) relation, while both dimensions are orthogonal to the maps derived from synonymy and antonymy. Interestingly, the choice of using relations among words vs. senses implies a non-trivial trade-off between rich and unambiguous information due to homonymy and polysemy. The practical utility of the new and prior dimensions is illustrated by the automated evaluation of different kinds of documents. Residual analysis of available linguistic resources, such as WordNet, suggests that the number of universal semantic dimensions representable in natural language may be finite. Their complete characterization, as well as the extension of results to non-linguistic materials, remains an open challenge
Microtubules: Montroll's kink and Morse vibrations
Using a version of Witten's supersymmetric quantum mechanics proposed by
Caticha, we relate Montroll's kink to a traveling, asymmetric Morse double-well
potential suggesting in this way a connection between kink modes and
vibrational degrees of freedom along microtubulesComment: 2pp, twocolum
Augmenting Weak Semantic Cognitive Maps with an “Abstractness” Dimension
The emergent consensus on dimensional models of sentiment, appraisal, emotions, and values is on the semantics of the principal dimensions, typically interpreted as valence, arousal, and dominance. The notion of weak semantic maps was introduced recently as distribution of representations in abstract spaces that are not derived from human judgments, psychometrics, or any other a priori information about their semantics. Instead, they are defined entirely by binary semantic relations among representations, such as synonymy and antonymy. An interesting question concerns the ability of the antonymy-based semantic maps to capture all “universal” semantic dimensions. The present work shows that those narrow weak semantic maps are not complete in this sense and can be augmented with other semantic relations. Specifically, including hyponym-hypernym relations yields a new semantic dimension of the map labeled here “abstractness” (or ontological generality) that is not reducible to any dimensions represented by antonym pairs or to traditional affective space dimensions. It is expected that including other semantic relations (e.g., meronymy/holonymy) will also result in the addition of new semantic dimensions to the map. These findings have broad implications for automated quantitative evaluation of the meaning of text and may shed light on the nature of human subjective experience
Dynamics of Neural Networks with Continuous Attractors
We investigate the dynamics of continuous attractor neural networks (CANNs).
Due to the translational invariance of their neuronal interactions, CANNs can
hold a continuous family of stationary states. We systematically explore how
their neutral stability facilitates the tracking performance of a CANN, which
is believed to have wide applications in brain functions. We develop a
perturbative approach that utilizes the dominant movement of the network
stationary states in the state space. We quantify the distortions of the bump
shape during tracking, and study their effects on the tracking performance.
Results are obtained on the maximum speed for a moving stimulus to be
trackable, and the reaction time to catch up an abrupt change in stimulus.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures with 4 caption
Emotion in the Common Model of Cognition
Emotions play an important role in human cognition and therefore need to be present in the Common Model of Cognition. In this paper, the emotion working group focuses on functional aspects of emotions and describes what we believe are the points of interactions with the Common Model of Cognition. The present paper should not be viewed as a consensus of the group but rather as a first attempt to extract common and divergent aspects of different models of emotions and how they relate to the Common Model of Cognition
Dynamical model of sequential spatial memory: winnerless competition of patterns
We introduce a new biologically-motivated model of sequential spatial memory
which is based on the principle of winnerless competition (WLC). We implement
this mechanism in a two-layer neural network structure and present the learning
dynamics which leads to the formation of a WLC network. After learning, the
system is capable of associative retrieval of pre-recorded sequences of spatial
patterns.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR
A first principle (3+1) dimensional model for microtubule polymerization
In this paper we propose a microscopic model to study the polymerization of
microtubules (MTs). Starting from fundamental reactions during MT's assembly
and disassembly processes, we systematically derive a nonlinear system of
equations that determines the dynamics of microtubules in 3D. %coexistence with
tubulin dimers in a solution. We found that the dynamics of a MT is
mathematically expressed via a cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS)
equation. Interestingly, the generic 3D solution of the NLS equation exhibits
linear growing and shortening in time as well as temporal fluctuations about a
mean value which are qualitatively similar to the dynamic instability of MTs
observed experimentally. By solving equations numerically, we have found
spatio-temporal patterns consistent with experimental observations.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Accepted in Physics Letters
Stochastic Continuous Time Neurite Branching Models with Tree and Segment Dependent Rates
In this paper we introduce a continuous time stochastic neurite branching
model closely related to the discrete time stochastic BES-model. The discrete
time BES-model is underlying current attempts to simulate cortical development,
but is difficult to analyze. The new continuous time formulation facilitates
analytical treatment thus allowing us to examine the structure of the model
more closely. We derive explicit expressions for the time dependent
probabilities p(\gamma, t) for finding a tree \gamma at time t, valid for
arbitrary continuous time branching models with tree and segment dependent
branching rates. We show, for the specific case of the continuous time
BES-model, that as expected from our model formulation, the sums needed to
evaluate expectation values of functions of the terminal segment number
\mu(f(n),t) do not depend on the distribution of the total branching
probability over the terminal segments. In addition, we derive a system of
differential equations for the probabilities p(n,t) of finding n terminal
segments at time t. For the continuous BES-model, this system of differential
equations gives direct numerical access to functions only depending on the
number of terminal segments, and we use this to evaluate the development of the
mean and standard deviation of the number of terminal segments at a time t. For
comparison we discuss two cases where mean and variance of the number of
terminal segments are exactly solvable. Then we discuss the numerical
evaluation of the S-dependence of the solutions for the continuous time
BES-model. The numerical results show clearly that higher S values, i.e. values
such that more proximal terminal segments have higher branching rates than more
distal terminal segments, lead to more symmetrical trees as measured by three
tree symmetry indicators.Comment: 41 pages, 2 figures, revised structure and text improvement
Этапы становления сельскохозяйственного производства республики: К 100-летию образования Министерства сельского хозяйства и продовольствия Республики Беларусь
There are several stages associated with fundamental changes in arrangement and production technologies for the development of agricultural production in the Republic of Belarus. Each of the stage was associated with achievements of scientific and technological progress and had important social and economic consequences. The paper dwells on the stages of agriculture development in the Republic of Belarus since 1919 to the present days. The basic transformations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food as a body for state administration of agriculture are covered. It is shown that nowadays the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus performs absolutely greater part of functions in the field of state agriculture management, in particular: administration, economic regulation, legal regulation, state agricultural policy, state control. It is known that high level of agro-industrial complex development guarantees the food security of the state, therefore, political independence and sovereignty as well. Over the years of the sovereign existence, the Republic of Belarus has been able to restore and develop agriculture, ensuring the country’s food security, as well as become an important exporter of food and agricultural products. Thus, the achieved results of agricultural production confirm the right chosen course aimed at intensive methods of work based on achievements of science and technology.В развитии сельскохозяйственного производства Республики Беларусь можно выделить несколько этапов, связанных с коренными изменениями организации и технологий производства. Каждый из этапов был связан с достижениями научно-технического прогресса и имел важные социально-экономические последствия. В статье представлены этапы развития сельского хозяйства в Республике Беларусь с 1919 г. по настоящее время. Освещены основные преобразования Министерства сельского хозяйства и продовольствия как органа государственного управления сельским хозяйством. Показано, что в настоящее время Министерство сельского хозяйства и продовольствия Республики Беларусь выполняет абсолютное большинство функций в сфере государственного управления сельским хозяйством, в частности: администрирование, экономическое регулирование, нормативно-правовое регулирование, проведение государственной политики в сельскохозяйственной сфере, государственный контроль. Известно, что высокий уровень развития агропромышленного комплекса является гарантом продовольственной безопасности государства, следовательно, политической независимости и суверенитета. За годы своего суверенного существования Республика Беларусь смогла возродить и развить сельское хозяйство, которое обеспечивает продовольственную безопасность страны, а также стать важным экспортером продуктов питания и сельскохозяйственной продукции. Таким образом, достигнутые результаты сельскохозяйственного производства подтверждают правильность выбранного курса на интенсивные методы работы на основе достижений науки и техники
Context-dependent spatially periodic activity in the human entorhinal cortex
The spatially periodic activity of grid cells in the entorhinal cortex (EC) of the rodent, primate, and human provides a coordinate system that, together with the hippocampus, informs an individual of its location relative to the environment and encodes the memory of that location. Among the most defining features of grid-cell activity are the 60 degrees rotational symmetry of grids and preservation of grid scale across environments. Grid cells, however, do display a limited degree of adaptation to environments. It remains unclear if this level of environment invariance generalizes to human grid-cell analogs, where the relative contribution of visual input to the multimodal sensory input of the EC is significantly larger than in rodents. Patients diagnosed with nontractable epilepsy who were implanted with entorhinal cortical electrodes performing virtual navigation tasks to memorized locations enabled us to investigate associations between grid-like patterns and environment. Here, we report that the activity of human entorhinal cortical neurons exhibits adaptive scaling in grid period, grid orientation, and rotational symmetry in close association with changes in environment size, shape, and visual cues, suggesting scale invariance of the frequency, rather than the wavelength, of spatially periodic activity. Our results demonstrate that neurons in the human EC represent space with an enhanced flexibility relative to neurons in rodents because they are endowed with adaptive scalability and context dependency
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