Mind: meet network. Emergence of features in conceptual metaphor.

As a human product, language reflects the psychological experience of man (Radden and Dirven, 2007). One model of language and human cognition in general is connectionism, by many linguists is regarded as mathematical and, therefore, too reductive. This opinion trend seems to be reversing, however, due to the fact that many cognitive researchers begin to appreciate one attribute of network models: feature emergence. In the course of a network simulation properties emerge that were neither inbuilt nor intended by its creators (Elman, 1998), in other words, the whole becomes more than just the sum of its parts. Insight is not only drawn from the network's output, but also the means that the network utilizes to arrive at the output.\ud It may seem obvious that the events of life should be meaningful for human beings, yet there is no widely accepted theory as to how do we derive that meaning. The most promising hypothesis regarding the question how the world is meaningful to us is that of embodied cognition (cf. Turner 2009), which postulates that the functions of the brain evolved so as to ‘understand’ the body, thus grounding the mind in an experiential foundation. Yet, the relationship between the body and the mind is far from perspicuous, as research insight is still intertwined with metaphors specific for the researcher’s methodology (Eliasmith 2003). It is the aim of this paper to investigate the conceptual metaphor in a manner that will provide some insight with regard to the role that objectification, as defined by Szwedek (2002), plays in human cognition and identify one possible consequence of embodied cognition.\ud If the mechanism for concept formation, or categorization of the world, resembles a network, it is reasonable to assume that evidence for this is to be sought in language. Let us then postulate the existence of a network mechanism for categorization and concept formation present in the human mind and initially developed to cope with the world directly accessible to the early human (i.e. tangible). Such a network would convert external inputs to form an internal, multi modal representation of a perceived object in the brain. The sheer amount of available information and the computational restrictions of the brain would force some sort of data compression, or a computational funnel. It has been shown that a visual perception network of this kind can learn to accurately label patterns (Elman, 1998). What is more, the compression of data facilitated the recognition of prototypes of a given pattern category rather than its peripheral representations, an emergent property that supports the prototype theory of the mental lexicon (cf. Radden and Dirven, 2007).\ud The present project proposes that, in the domain of cognition, the process of objectification, as defined by Szwedek (2002), would be an emergent property of such a system, or that if an abstract notion is computed by a neural network designed to cope with tangible concepts the data compression mechanism would require the notion to be conceptualized as an object to permit further processing. The notion of emergence of meaning from the operation of complex systems is recognised as an important process in a number of studies on metaphor comprehension. Feature emergence is said to occur when a non-salient feature of the target and the vehicle becomes highly salient in the metaphor (Utsumi 2005). Therefore, for example, should objectification emerge as a feature in the metaphor KNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE, the metaphor would be characterised as having more\ud features of an object than either the target or vehicle alone. This paper focuses on providing a theoretical connectionist network based on the Elman-type network (Elman, 1998) as a model of concept formation where objectification would be an emergent feature. This is followed by a psychological experiment whereby the validity of this assumption is tested through a questionnaire where two groups of participants are asked to evaluate either metaphors or their components. The model proposes an underlying relation between the mechanism for concept formation and the omnipresence of conceptual metaphors, which are interpreted as resulting from the properties of the proposed network system.\ud Thus, an evolutionary neural mechanism is proposed for categorization of the world, that is able to cope with both concrete and abstract notions and the by-product of which are the abstract language-related phenomena, i.e. metaphors. The model presented in this paper aims at providing a unified account of how the various types of phenomena, objects, feelings etc. are categorized in the human mind, drawing on evidence from language.\ud References:\ud Szwedek, Aleksander. 2002. Objectification: From Object Perception To Metaphor Creation. In B. Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk and K. Turewicz (eds). Cognitive Linguistics To-day, 159-175. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.\ud Radden, Günter and Dirven, René. 2007. Cognitive English Grammar. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company\ud Eliasmith, Chris. 2003. Moving beyond metaphors: understanding the mind for what it is. Journal of Philosophy. C(10):493- 520.\ud Elman, J. L. et al. 1998. Rethinking innateness: A connectionist perspective on development. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press\ud Turner, Mark. 2009. Categorization of Time and Space Through Language. (Paper presented at the FOCUS2009 conference "Categorization of the world through language". Serock, 25-28 February 2009).\ud Utsumi, Akira. 2005. The role of feature emergence in metaphor appreciation, Metaphor and Symbol, 20(3), 151-172

Investigating the dual function of gesture in blind and visually impaired children. (Poster)

Co-speech gesture research explores the role of gesture in communication, i.e. whether gestures are intended for the listener/audience (e.g. Mol et al. 2009; Alibali et al., 2001; Holler & Beattie, 2003) or support the process of speech production (Kita & Davies, 2009; Hostetter et al. 2007). To investigate the role of gesture in communication we turn to blind and visually impaired speakers whose opportunities to learn gestures visually are limited (cf. Iverson & Goldin-Meadow 1998; 2001). The present study aims at providing insight into the nature and occurrence of co-speech gestures in spontaneous speech: between blind, severely visually impaired and sighted individuals. Participants were asked to read a short story (either in print or in Braille) and to re-tell it to the interviewer. Care was taken to establish an environment in which the participants would feel safe and would not refrain from gesturing for fear of hurting themselves or others. We predicted that if blind speakers did not gesture as much as their visually impaired peers it would suggest that gesture is to some extent acquired through visual instruction. However, following Iverson et al. (2000) and Iverson and Goldin-Meadow (1998) we hypothesized that despite the absence of visual gestural stimuli during the language-learning process gesture is present in the language of the blind participants - but there would be differences in gesture form, types and functions. The present study aims at exploring and categorizing these differences, with regard to how sensory references are visible in the gestures of participants with various degrees of sight impairment. Regardless of dissimilarities, the presence of gesture in both the blind and impaired individuals points towards a dual function of co-speech gestures, i.e. a device for both the speaker and their interlocutor

”You won’t get it unless you’re bilingual, kid”: On irony comprehension in Polish mono- and Polish-English bilingual children

Poster presented at Societas Linguistica Europaea 2014, Poznan, Polan

Biografie Polaków na Litwie - poczucie tożsamości narodowej w narracjach uczniów, rodziców i nauczycieli polskich szkół

Opis funkcjonowania społeczności polskich szkół na Litwie w świetle narracji jej członków ukazuje złożony obraz lokalnych strategii i technik konstruowania tożsamości narodowej na litewskim pograniczu kulturowym. Analiza materiału badawczego skoncentrowana jest na odtworzeniu różnorodności dyskursu tożsamości narodowej oraz na opisie zjawisk jej nabywania, prezentowania i argumentowania. Opisane wzory identyfikacji: „Polskość to jest dla mnie wszystko”, „Polskość to polska kultura”, „Polskość to wolność wyboru”, „Polskość – nie wiem …”, pokazują jej przemiany na przestrzeni kilku dziesięcioleci, pod wpływem bezpośrednich wydarzeń społecznych i politycznych oraz szerszych procesów kulturowych. Społeczne funkcje narracji polskości na Litwie związane są z przekazem skierowanym do różnych odbiorców: członków własnej spo-łeczności, litewskiej większości oraz państwa polskiego. Dotyczą uznania odrębnego autochtonicznego kształtu polskości na Litwie oraz troski o jej przetrwanie

Introduction. Young Linguists' Insights: Taking interdisciplinary approaches to the fore.

The edited collection offers an excellent selection of articles from various fields of linguistic inquiry authored by distinguished scholars and beginning linguists who are just starting to uncover new dimensions in linguistic research. This juxtaposition fills the volume both with the first-class expertise and original, brave perspectives on the presented topics ranging from sociolinguistics to issues in language and technology. I appreciate the breadth of the investigated contexts, the unique interdisciplinary perspectives adopted by the researchers as well as engaging international examples. Joanna Pawelczyk Faculty of English Adam Mickiewicz University in PoznańThis volume anthologizes the research of a wide range of interdisciplinary themes introduced by experts in the field followed by qualitative and quantitative articles by young international linguists interfacing language with society and discourse, technology, meaning, mind and brain, the press and formal and applied linguistics. The contributions represent a plethora of specific topics such as language extinction and revival, persuasive language, style, metaphor, syntax, semantics, speech perception and recognition, idiomaticity, irony, bilingualism, and developmental and clinical issues, among others, in many diverse languages. Yishai Tobin Ben-Gurion Univeristy of the NegevYoung Linguists’ Insights, an edited collection, offers a fresh perspective on a number of current issues in interdisciplinary linguistics. Both renowned specialists and junior researchers present the output of their work in 30 chapters grouped into six thematic sections. The scope of the publication encompasses sociolinguistics, neuro- and psycholinguistics, language and technology as well as more traditional approaches to language

Znaczenie badawcze gestu w analizie procesów poznawczych osób niewidomych i niedowidzących

Gestykulacja jest wszechobecną cechą komunikacji wśród ludzi, choć występuje również u małp człekokształtnych. Gest daleki jest jednak od bycia przypadkową serią ruchów rąk. Według teoretyków nauk kognitywnych gest i język to dwa uzupełniające się źródła wiedzy na temat procesów umysłowych leżących u ich podstawy. Jeżeli więc gest, podobnie jak język, jest odzwierciedleniem struktury umysłowej człowieka, z której się wywodzi można założyć, iż analiza gestu stanowić będzie istotne źródło danych potwierdzających lub obalających teorie na temat natury konceptualizacji oraz kategoryzacji; w szczególności teorię ucieleśnionego poznania oraz opartą na niej kognitywną teorię metafory. Badanie języka jako ekspresji procesów rozgrywających się na poziomie umysłu — dokładniej rzecz biorąc — ucieleśnionego umysłu jest fundamentalnym założeniem lingwistyki kognitywnej. Niniejszy artykuł przygląda się powiązaniu gestu, języka oraz zjawisk umysłowych, ze szczególną uwagą traktując metaforyczny gest osób niewidomych oraz niedowidzących. Pokazując konceptualne oraz społeczne konotacje występowania różnych typów gestu autorki starają się wykazać, iż jego analiza stanowić może istotny przyczynek do rozwoju kognitywnej teorii poznania.Narodowe Centrum Nauki (grant 2011/01/N/HS6/04050

Figurative language impairment in aphasic patients: the effects of the type of figurative trope

Research conducted into the processing of figurative language by aphasic patients has repeatedly demonstrated that such patients experience difficulties comprehending nonliteral forms of discourse such as metaphors, idiomatic expressions, proverbs or irony (see, for example, The aim of the study described in this paper is thus verifying the effect of the type of figurative trope on the aphasic patients' figurative performance. In order to obtain a comprehensive examination of aphasic patients' figurative language skills, a figurative language battery was prepared, consisting of four parts, each of which focuses on a different figurative trope (idioms, metaphors, proverbs, and similes), and employs different tasks (multiple choice test presented on the computer screen, completion of the unfinished metaphorical expression presented orally). Idiomatic expressions used in the figurative battery varied with regard to their well/ill-formedness, opaqueness/transparency and non/literalness; metaphors varied along the dimension of conventionality (conventional vs. novel) and structure (nominal, verbal, adjectival); whereas similes differed in the number of words following the comparative word as. All of the proverbs used in the test were highly familiar, as confirmed in the norming study conducted with a group of Polish healthy adults. The obtained results confirm the essential role of various dimensions of idiom and metaphor variability in influencing figurative language processing in aphasia

Oxyphilic and follicular thyroid tumors - the correlation between the cytopathologic diagnosis and the histopathologic examination

Wstęp: Biopsja aspiracyjna cienkoigłowa (BAC) tarczycy jest uznaną i szeroko stosowaną metodą diagnostyczną guzów tarczycy. Rozpoznanie guza pęcherzykowego (FT, follicular tumor) lub oksyfilnego (OT, oxyphilic tumor) stanowi 10-procentowy margines badań, w których nie jest możliwe jednoznaczne zakwalifikowanie zmiany jako łagodnej lub złośliwej. Materiał i metody: W latach 2001-2002 rozpoznano w BAC u 102 pacjentów FT, natomiast OT - u 25. Badaniem histopatologicznym zweryfikowano 39 (38%) chorych z rozpoznaniem FT i 19 (76%) chorych z rozpoznaniem OT. Wyniki: Zmianę nowotworową rozpoznano w badaniu histopatologicznym w 48,7% (19/39) FT i 42% (8/19) OT. Ryzyko raka w FT wyniosło 12,8%, a w OT - 16% (ocena uwzględnia tylko przypadki leczone operacyjnie). Wnioski: Powyższe dane wskazują na duży stopień trudności diagnostycznych i brak jednoznacznych kryteriów cytologicznych umożliwiających zróżnicowanie łagodnych i złośliwych zmian pęcherzykowych tarczycy w badaniu BAC. W związku z faktem, że większość rozpoznanych w BAC guzów pęcherzykowych w badaniu histopatologicznym okazuje się być zmianą łagodną, nienowotworową, używanie określenia nowotwór pęcherzykowy jest bezzasadne. W to miejsce bardziej odpowiednim określeniem jest guz pęcherzykowy lub oksyfilny. Nie zmienia to faktu, że BAC tarczycy w korelacji z obrazem klinicznym jest cenną metodą pozwalającą na wytypowanie tych chorych, u których wskazany jest zabieg operacyjny lub dalsza diagnostyka.Introduction: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the thyroid nodules generally allows to make the diagnosis and to choose the proper clinical management. In about 10% of cases cytopathologic features do not differentiate unequivocally benign and malignant lesions. In these cases the cytopathologic diagnosis of follicular tumor (FT) or oxyphilic tumor (OT) is most often made. Materials and methods: From 2001 to 2002 in our Department of Pathology the cytopathologic diagnosis of FT and OT was made in 102 and 25 cases respectively. Histopathologic verification was possible in 39 (38%) patients with FT and in 19 (76%) patients with OT. Results: Histopathological diagnosis of neoplasm was made in 48.7% (19/39) FT and 42% (8/19) OT. The risk of carcinoma was 12.8% in FT and 16% in OT group (surgical treated cases only). Conclusions: These results show how difficult the diagnostics of follicular lesions in FNAB could be because of the frequent overlapping of the cytological features of benign and malignant lesions. Diagnosis of follicular tumor does not mean carcinoma. Majority lesions are begin non neoplastic on final histopathologic examination. The use of follicular/ oxyphilic tumor in cytological diagnostic instead of follicular neoplasm seems more advisable. However FNAB in the correlation with clinical data may select the patients for the surgical treatment or the further observation

Lipoid pneumonia — a case of refractory pneumonia in a child treated with ketogenic diet

Tłuszczowe zapalenie płuc jest przewlekłym śródmiąższowym stanem zapalnym zrębu płuca, wynikającym z akumulacji w nim endogennych i egzogennych tłuszczów. Egzogenne tłuszczowe zapalenie płuc wiąże się z aspiracją bądź inhalacją olejów obecnych w pokarmach, lekach, radiologicznych środkach kontrastowych. Manifestacja kliniczna jest różnorodna: od postaci bezobjawowych do ciężkich zapaleń płuc, przebiegających z niewydolnością oddechową; zależy od ilości aspirowanego tłuszczu oraz czasu trwania aspiracji. Rozpoznanie ustala się na podstawie wywiadu lekarskiego oraz obecności w badaniu histopatologicznym sedimenpopłuczyn oskrzelowo-pęcherzykowych makrofagów wypełnionych wodniczkami z tłuszczem. Tomografia komputerowa klatki piersiowej wysokiej rozdzielczości jest obrazową metodą z wyboru w diagnostyce tłuszczowego zapalenia płuc. Postępowanie terapeutyczne polega przede wszystkim na zaprzestaniu ekspozycji na substancje tłuszczowe, ich eliminacji z dróg oddechowych, poprzez powtarzalne zabiegi płukania oskrzelowo-pęcherzykowego metodą bronchoskopową. Leczenie glikokortykosteroidami jest kontrowersyjne i stosowane w ciężkich postaciach. Autorzy opisują przypadek 3-letniej dziewczynki leczonej dietą ketogenną z powodu lekoopornej padaczki. Przedstawione problemy diagnostyczne wynikały z niespecyficznych objawów, sugerujących infekcyjne przyczyny zapalenia płuc. O tłuszczowym zapaleniu płuc należy pamiętać zwłaszcza w przypadkach zapalenia płuc i gorączki opornych na konwencjonalne leczenie, kluczowe znaczenie dla rozpoznania odgrywa szczegółowo zebrany wywiad lekarski. Obecność refluksu żołądkowo-przełykowego oraz innych czynników ryzyka aspiracji należy rozważyć jako względne przeciwwskazania do stosowania diety ketogennej. W opisanym przypadku leczenie za pomocą glikokortykosteroidów okazało się skuteczne.Lipoid pneumonia (LP) is a chronic inflammation of the lung parenchyma with interstitial involvement due to the accumulation of endogenous or exogenous lipids. Exogenous LP (ELP) is associated with the aspiration or inhalation of oil present in food, oil-based medications or radiographic contrast media. The clinical manifestations of LP range from asymptomatic cases to severe pulmonary involvement, with respiratory failure and death, according to the quantity and duration of the aspiration. The diagnosis of exogenous lipoid pneumonia is based on a history of exposure to oil and the presence of lipid-laden macrophages on sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the imaging technique of choice for evaluation of patients with suspected LP. The best therapeutic strategy is to remove the oil as early as possible through bronchoscopy with multiple BALs and interruption in the use of mineral oil. Steroid therapy remains controversial, and should be reserved for severe cases. We describe a case of LP due to oil aspiration in 3-year-old girl with intractable epilepsy on ketogenic diet. Diagnostic problems were due to non-specific symptoms that were mimicing serious infectious pneumonia. A high index of suspicion and precise medical history is required in cases of refractory pneumonia and fever unresponsive to conventional therapy. Gastroesophageal reflux and a risk of aspiration may be regarded as relative contraindications to the ketogenic diet. Conservative treatment, based on the use of oral steroids, proved to be an efficient therapeutic approach in this case

Differences in the composition of the bacterial element of the urinary tract microbiome in patients undergoing dialysis and patients after kidney transplantation

IntroductionThe development of molecular biology methods and their application in microbial research allowed the detection of many new pathogens that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). Despite the advances of using new research techniques, the etiopathogenesis of UTIs, especially in patients undergoing dialysis and patients after kidney transplantation, is still not fully understood.MethodsThis study aimed to characterize and compare the composition of the bacterial element of the urinary tract microbiome between the groups of patients undergoing dialysis (n = 50) and patients after kidney transplantation (n = 50), with positive or negative urine culture, compared to healthy individuals (n = 50).ResultsAsymptomatic bacteriuria was observed in 30% of the urine cultures of patients undergoing dialysis and patients after kidney transplantation, with Escherichia coli as the most dominant microorganism (73%) detected with the use of classical microbiology techniques. However, differences in the bacterial composition of the urine samples between the evaluated patient groups were demonstrated using the amplicon sequencing. Finegoldia, Leptotrichia, and Corynebacterium were found to be discriminative bacteria genera in patients after dialysis and kidney transplantation compared to the control group. In addition, in all of urine samples, including those without bacteriuria in classical urine culture, many types of bacteria have been identified using 16S rRNA sequencing.DiscussionThe revealed microbial characteristics may form the basis in searching for new diagnostic markers in treatment of patients undergoing dialysis and patients after kidney transplantation