Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Neuroimaging in the Courtroom

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 239-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph H. Baskin ◽  
Judith G. Edersheim ◽  
Bruce H. Price

Neuroimaging has advanced our understanding of how the living brain operates, providing structural and functional images of both healthy and diseased brains. This technology pervades today's society, particularly affecting the legal arena. Some judges argue that scientific evidence, which offers insight into the offender's mental state, is crucial because it is the only means of determining whether an offender's punishment is proportional to his crime. Other judges argue that “objective” evidence does not “wholly determine the controversy,” and focus instead on their duty as gatekeepers to independently evaluate scientific evidence. If courts use brain images to make their culpability determinations more objective and sound, these images must meet pertinent legal standards and shed light on medical conditions. For neuroimaging to meet these legal and medical standards with scientific integrity, scientists must convincingly correlate the dynamic images in a person's brain with the way the person is thinking or acting at that moment.

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Carla Carmona Escalera

Abstract: A fourfold use of Wittgenstein’s later philosophy in order to tackle fundamental conceptual misconceptions in the domain of dance practice is proposed: the extension to dance of the insights of his remarks on other arts, the application to dance instructions of his method of examination of the use of language, the extension to dance of the insights of his remarks on aesthetics, and the use of some of the fundamental concepts of his later philosophy, such as “aspect-seeing”, or “form of life”.In the first section, Wittgenstein’s paragraphs on Shakespeare are used in order to clarify the nature of representation, his remarks on archi tecture are used to shed light on the gestural carácter of a dance movement and to differentiate dance movement from mere bodily movement, and his remarks on music are used in order to elucidate the relationship between a movement and its so-called meaning. In the second section, an analysis looks at how language is used in the dance studio to tackle the problem of affectation in dance practice, and to propose measures to overcome this tendency, such as awareness of the use of the mirror in the studio. In the third section, Wittgenstein’s understanding of aesthetic satisfaction as something that clicks is understood as a tool to fight dualistic tendencies in dance practice. The fourth section discusses how insight into Wittgenstein’s concepts of “aspect- seeing” and “form of life” can contribute to superseding affectation. In dance, aspect seeing involves directing one’s gaze back to the movement in question. Instead of blaming the incorrect execution of a movement on a lack of dramatic skill on the part of the dancer, an approach that reinforces the idea of dance performance as a dualistic process, it can be attributed to aspect blindness, allowing for the redirection of the dancer’s attention to the movement. In this regard, it is proposed that dancers be helped to appreciate that a movement is charged with the atmosphere of a whole form of life. By understanding this relationship, it should become clear for dancers that expressivity is something that depends neither on their mental state nor on their ability to transfer the latter to the movement in question.Key words: aesthetics, aspect-seeing, dance, dance instruction, form of life, mind-body dualism, Wittgenstein.Resumen: Propongo un uso cuádruple de la filosofía madura de Wittgenstein con vistas a abordar confusiones conceptuales fundamentales en el ámbito de la práctica de la danza: extender a la danza aquellas de sus observaciones perspicaces sobre otras artes que sean relevantes, aplicar a las instrucciones de danza su análisis del uso del lenguaje, extender a la danza sus observaciones sobre la estética y usar en el contexto de la danza algunos de los conceptos fundamentales de su filosofía madura, tales como el de «ver aspectos» o el de «forma de vida».En la primera sección, se usan los parágrafos sobre Shakespeare de Wittgenstein para clarificar la naturaleza de la representación, sus observaciones sobre arquitectura para arrojar luz sobre el carácter gestual del movimiento de danza y para diferenciar un movimiento de danza de un simple movimiento corporal. Asimismo, sus observaciones sobre música se usan con el fin de dilucidar la relación entre un movimiento y su presunto significado. En la segunda sección, analizo cómo se usa el lenguaje en el estudio de danza con vistas a afrontar el problema de la afectación en la práctica de la danza y propongo una serie de medidas con el propósito de superar esta tendencia, como, por ejemplo, tomar conciencia del uso del espejo en el estudio de danza. En la tercera sección, la comprensión de Wittgenstein de la satisfacción estética como algo que hace click se propone como herramienta para encarar las tendencias dualistas en la práctica de la danza. La cuarta sección enfoca cómo la familiaridad con los conceptos de Wittgenstein de «ver aspectos» y «forma de vida» puede contribuir a superar la afectación. En la danza, ver aspectos supone reencauzar la mirada, enfocando de nuevo el movimiento en cuestión. En lugar de echar la culpa de una ejecución incorrecta de un movimiento a una falta de talento dramático por parte del bailarín, idea que refuerza la imagen de la representación de danza como un proceso dualista, se podría atribuir a la ceguera para los aspectos, y así reorientar la atención del bailarín al movimiento. De igual modo, se propone que los bailarines deberían ser llevados a apreciar que un movimiento ha de participar de la atmósfera de toda una forma de vida. Tras comprender esta relación, para el bailarín debería resultar evidente que la expresividad no es algo que dependa de su estado mental, ni de su habilidad para transferir ese estado mental al movimiento en cuestión.Palabras clave: estética, danza, instrucción de danza, forma de vida, dualismo mente-cuerpo, ver aspectos, Wittgenstein.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3S) ◽  
pp. 631-637
Author(s):  
Katja Lund ◽  
Rodrigo Ordoñez ◽  
Jens Bo Nielsen ◽  
Dorte Hammershøi

Purpose The aim of this study was to develop a tool to gain insight into the daily experiences of new hearing aid users and to shed light on aspects of aided performance that may not be unveiled through standard questionnaires. Method The tool is developed based on clinical observations, patient experiences, expert involvement, and existing validated hearing rehabilitation questionnaires. Results An online tool for collecting data related to hearing aid use was developed. The tool is based on 453 prefabricated sentences representing experiences within 13 categories related to hearing aid use. Conclusions The tool has the potential to reflect a wide range of individual experiences with hearing aid use, including auditory and nonauditory aspects. These experiences may hold important knowledge for both the patient and the professional in the hearing rehabilitation process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 80-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Soares Severo ◽  
Jennifer Beatriz Silva Morais ◽  
Taynáh Emannuelle Coelho de Freitas ◽  
Ana Letícia Pereira Andrade ◽  
Mayara Monte Feitosa ◽  
...  

Abstract. Thyroid hormones play an important role in body homeostasis by facilitating metabolism of lipids and glucose, regulating metabolic adaptations, responding to changes in energy intake, and controlling thermogenesis. Proper metabolism and action of these hormones requires the participation of various nutrients. Among them is zinc, whose interaction with thyroid hormones is complex. It is known to regulate both the synthesis and mechanism of action of these hormones. In the present review, we aim to shed light on the regulatory effects of zinc on thyroid hormones. Scientific evidence shows that zinc plays a key role in the metabolism of thyroid hormones, specifically by regulating deiodinases enzymes activity, thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) synthesis, as well as by modulating the structures of essential transcription factors involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Serum concentrations of zinc also appear to influence the levels of serum T3, T4 and TSH. In addition, studies have shown that Zinc transporters (ZnTs) are present in the hypothalamus, pituitary and thyroid, but their functions remain unknown. Therefore, it is important to further investigate the roles of zinc in regulation of thyroid hormones metabolism, and their importance in the treatment of several diseases associated with thyroid gland dysfunction.


2020 ◽  
pp. 128-138
Author(s):  
A. S. Bik-Bulatov

The article uses little known letters of M. Gorky, many of which were published for the first time in 1997, as well as findings of Samara-based experts in local history to shed light on the writer’s work as editor-in-chief of the Samarskaya Gazeta newspaper in 1895. The researcher introduces hitherto unstudied reminiscences of the journalist D. Linyov (Dalin) about this period, which reference a letter by Gorky, now lost. The paper details a newly discovered episode of Gorky’s professional biography as a journalist: it concerns his campaign against a Samara ‘she-wolf,’ the madam of a local brothel A. Neucheva. Linyov’s reminiscences turn out to be an important and interesting source, offering an insight into the daily grind of the young editor Gorky, providing new evidence of his excellent organizational skills, and describing his moral and social stance. The author presents his work in the context of a recently initiated broader discussion about the need to map out all Russian periodicals for the period until 1917, as well as all research devoted to individual publications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1633
Author(s):  
Mohamed F. Abdallah ◽  
Kris Audenaert ◽  
Sarah De Saeger ◽  
Jos Houbraken

The aflatoxin type B and G producer Aspergillus novoparasiticus was described in 2012 and was firstly reported from sputum, hospital air (Brazil), and soil (Colombia). Later, several survey studies reported the occurrence of this species in different foods and other agricultural commodities from several countries worldwide. This short communication reports on an old fungal strain (CBS 108.30), isolated from Pseudococcus sacchari (grey sugarcane mealybug) from an Egyptian sugarcane field in (or before) 1930. This strain was initially identified as Aspergillus flavus; however, using the latest taxonomy schemes, the strain is, in fact, A. novoparasiticus. These data and previous reports indicate that A. novoparasiticus is strongly associated with sugarcane, and pre-harvest biocontrol approaches with non-toxigenic A. novoparasiticus strains are likely to be more successful than those using non-toxigenic A. flavus strains. Further studies on the association between A. novoparasiticus and Pseudococcus sacchari might shed light on the distribution (and aflatoxin contamination) of this species in sugarcane. Additionally, the interaction between A. novoparasiticus, Pseudococcus sacchari, and sugarcane crop under different scenarios of climate change will be critical in order to get more insight into the host–pathogen interaction and host resistance and propose appropriate prevention strategies to decrease mycotoxin contamination and crop loss due to A. novoparasiticus attack.


2021 ◽  
pp. 194-214
Author(s):  
D. V. Zakharov

The article is devoted to the epistolary legacy of Nelle Harper Lee, the author of the American cult classic To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). The researcher examines a collection of Nelle’s letters written from 1956 to 2009, provides a detailed list of sources and makes suggestions about the potential new discoveries that could shed light on the life of ‘America’s most reclusive author.’ This short study of ‘posthumous baggage,’ as Lee referred to her private correspondence, offers an insight into the interests of the author, who insisted on keeping her personal life to herself. The letters included in the study concern the writer’s relationship to her father Amasa Coleman Lee, on whom she based the character of Atticus Finch, her attitude to her own biography published by Charles Shields, and personal anxieties of her final years. The author also details Lee’s opinions of literature, from the 19th-c. classics to contemporary authors, and shows how much she valued communication with her numerous fans.


2021 ◽  
pp. 079160352110684
Author(s):  
Patti O’Malley

The multiracial family and the existence of mixed race children have come to be a regular feature of Irish familial life. Yet, nation-building discourses have promulgated notions of ethnic and religious homogeneity with Irish identity being racialised exclusively as white. Moreover, to date, there has been a dearth of academic scholarship related to racial mixedness in the Irish context. Through in-depth interviews, this paper sets out, therefore, to provide empirical insight into the lives of fifteen black (African) – white (Irish) mixed race young people (aged 4 to 18) with a particular focus on their experiences of racialised exclusion. Indeed, findings suggest that, as in other majority white national contexts, the black-white mixed race young people are racialised as black in the Irish public domain and as such, are positioned as ‘racialised outsiders’. In fact, their narrative accounts shed light on everyday encounters saturated by ‘us-them’ racial constructs based on phenotype. Thus, these young people, who are not fully recognised as mixed race Irish citizens, are effectively deprived of a space in which to articulate their belonging within the existing statist (i.e. inside/outside) framework.


2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (02) ◽  
pp. 468-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Graham ◽  
Charles R. Shipan ◽  
Craig Volden

ABSTRACTWhat factors inhibit or facilitate cross-subfield conversations in political science? This article draws on diffusion scholarship to gain insight into cross-subfield communication. Diffusion scholarship represents a case where such communication might be expected, given that similar diffusion processes are analyzed in American politics, comparative politics, and international relations. We identify nearly 800 journal articles published on diffusion within political science between 1958 and 2008. Using network analysis we investigate the degree to which three “common culprits”—terminology, methodological approach, and journal type—influence levels of integration. We find the highest levels of integration among scholars using similar terms to describe diffusion processes, sharing a methodological approach (especially in quantitative scholarship), and publishing in a common set of subfield journals. These findings shed light on when cross-subfield communication is likely to occur with ease and when barriers may prove prohibitive.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark K Ho ◽  
David Abel ◽  
Tom Griffiths ◽  
Michael L. Littman

Agents that can make better use of computation, experience, time, and memory can solve a greater range of problems more effectively. A crucial ingredient for managing such finite resources is intelligently chosen abstract representations. But, how do abstractions facilitate problem solving under limited resources? What makes an abstraction useful? To answer such questions, we review several trends in recent reinforcement-learning research that provide insight into how abstractions interact with learning and decision making. During learning, abstraction can guide exploration and generalization as well as facilitate efficient tradeoffs---e.g., time spent learning versus the quality of a solution. During computation, good abstractions provide simplified models for computation while also preserving relevant information about decision-theoretic quantities. These features of abstraction are not only key for scaling up artificial problem solving, but can also shed light on what pressures shape the use of abstract representations in humans and other organisms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Mohammed El Haouari ◽  
Najat Assem ◽  
Sushil Changan ◽  
Manoj Kumar ◽  
Sevgi Durna Daştan ◽  
...  

Arbutus unedo L. (Ericaceae) is an evergreen shrub widely distributed in the Mediterranean region, particularly through the Moroccan forests. It is an important medicinal plant of great scientific interest due to its nutritional, pharmacological, and chemical properties. The objective of this review is to provide insights into traditional medicinal uses and phytochemical and pharmacological properties of A. unedo from Morocco. In Morocco, the plant has been used as a traditional medicine to treat several pathological conditions. Many phytochemical compounds have been reported in the plant, of which vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and their derivatives are the most prevalent. Leaves and fruits of A. unedo contain the most significant number of phytochemicals among the species. Furthermore, researchers have demonstrated that A. unedo exhibited antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiaggregant, and antihypertensive activities due to the presence of many biochemical compounds with health-promoting properties. According to different toxicity tests, the use of A. unedo is devoid of any significant side effects and/or toxicity. Despite its nutraceutical and health-promoting properties, Moroccan A. unedo remains underexploited mainly, and most of its traditional uses have not yet undergone scientific evidence-based research; therefore, improved knowledge about the potential value of the plant would allow understanding of its biological activity based on its phytochemical compounds that may contribute to the species preservation and valorization.


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