BackgroundTrait anxiety is a pervasive tendency to attend to and experience fears and worries to a disproportionate degree, across various situations. Decreased vulnerability to trait anxiety has been linked to having higher working memory capacity and better emotion regulation; however, the relationship between these factors has not been well-established.ObjectiveThis study sought to determine if participants who undergo emotional working memory training will have significantly lower trait anxiety post-training. The study also sought to determine if emotion regulation mediated the relationship between (...) working memory training and trait anxiety.MethodAn experimental group comprising of 49 participants underwent 20 days of computerized emotional working memory training, which involved viewing a continuous stream of emotionally-charged content on a grid, and then remembering the location and color of items presented on the grid. The control group comprised of 51 participants.ResultsParticipants of the experimental group had significantly lower trait anxiety compared to controls, post-training. Subsequent mediation analysis determined that working memory training capacity gains were significantly related to anxiety reduction as measured by form Y2 of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Emotion regulation, as measured by the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, was found not to mediate between working memory capacity gains and trait anxiety reduction.ConclusionWorking memory capacity gains and reductions in levels of trait anxiety were observed following emotional working memory training. The study may therefore be useful in informing interventions targeted at improving working memory capacity, and reducing levels of trait anxiety. Moreover, it proposes for future research to further look into the mediating role of emotion regulation via the development or utilization of more comprehensive measures of emotion regulation. (shrink)

We discuss some basic issues underlying the natural numbers: induction and recursion. We examine recursive formulations and their use in establishing universal and particular properties.

The 9/11 attacks in the USA had profound political consequences at both domestic and international levels. Specific and controversial policy developments were pursued requiring substantial legitimation to find acceptance. A prime example was the USA PATRIOT Act, which was passed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and subsequently received considerable critique due to the sweeping nature of its redefinition of what was acceptable in the cause of ‘fighting terror’. The media, and their construal of events and policies, played a significant (...) role in the necessary process of legitimation. In this paper, we explore how one particular area of the media, the superhero comic book, was also active in this regard. By focusing specifically on the multimodal meaning construction within Marvel's Civil War comics series, we suggest how a close multimodal discourse analysis can shed further light on the mechanisms by which particular discourse contexts of public opinion are propagated. (shrink)

A new, simpler proof, based on internalisation of interpretations, of the Modularisation Theorem for logical specifications is presented. This result is a basic tool for composing implementations and specialisation by parameter instantiation.

Some arguments use ‘generic’, or ‘typical’, objects. An explanation for this idea in terms of ‘almost all’ is suggested. The intuition of ‘almost all’ as ‘but for a few exceptions’ is rendered precise by means of ultrafilters. A logical system, with generalized quantifiers for ‘almost all’, is proposed as a basis for generic reasoning. This logic is monotonic, has a simple sound and complete deductive calculus, and is a conservative extension of classical first-order logic, with which it shares several properties. (...) For generic reasoning, generic individuals are introduced and internalized as generic constants, thereby producing conservative extensions where one can reason about generic objects as intended. A many-sorted version of this logic is introduced to handle distinct notions of ‘large’ subsets. Other possible applications for this logic are indicated. (shrink)

Vague notions, such as ‘generally’, ‘rarely’, ‘often’, ‘almost always’, ‘a meaningful subset of a whole’, ‘most’, etc., occur often in ordinary language and in some branches of science. We introduce modal logical systems, with generalized operators, for the precise treatment of assertions involving some versions of such vague notions. We examine modal logics, constructed in a modular fashion, with generalized operators corresponding to some versions of ‘generally’ and ‘rarely’.

A lógica não contém teoremas puramente existenciais: as únicas sentenças existenciaisválidas são aquelas com análogas universais válidas. Aqui, mostramos que istorealmente é assim quando corretamente interpretado: toda validade ex- istencial possuiuma análoga universal simples, que também é válida. Também caracterizamos validadesuniversais e existenciais em termos de tautologias.

O presente trabalho trata da definição de fenômenos naturais. tais como o trovão que é usada como paradigma na definição das substâncias perceptíveis em Metafísica, Z17. Procura-se mostrar como a definição do trovão implica necessariamente uma referência à substância, assim como a definição das substâncias perceptíveis parte necessariamente de um acidente, que justamente funciona como matéria. Entende-se assim trazer à tona algumas questões embaraçosas para Aristóteles, que dizem respeito ao “hiato” existente entre percepção e intelecção e ao caráter não assertivo (...) da “predicação da forma". (shrink)

Logics for generally were introduced for handling assertions with vague notions,such as generally, most, several, etc., by generalized quantifiers, ultrafilter logic being an interesting case. Here, we show that ultrafilter logic can be faithfully embedded into a first-order theory of certain functions, called coherent. We also use generic functions (akin to Skolem functions) to enable elimination of the generalized quantifier. These devices permit using methods for classical first-order logic to reason about consequence in ultrafilter logic.

Logics for ‘generally’ are intended to express some vague notions, such as ‘generally’, ‘several’, ‘many’, ‘most’, etc., by means of the new generalized quantifier ∇ and to reason about assertions with ‘generally’ . We introduce the idea of functional interpretation for ‘generally’ and show that representative functions enable elimination of ∇ and reduce consequence to classical theories. Thus, one can use proof procedures and theorem provers for classical first-order logic to reason about assertions involving ‘generally’.

It is part of an old folklore that logic should not have existential theo- rems or existential validities. One should not prove in pure logic the existence of anything whatsoever; nothing could be proved by means of logic alone to necessarily exist. Whatever exists might not exist. This standpoint has been expressed by several philosophers from different traditions, such as Hume, Kant, Orenstein and Quine. We now set the stage by examining some issues. Our main question is: “Do we actually (...) have existential theorems in logic?” Two possible attitudes towards this question are as follows. A desideratum: logic should not have any existential theorems. A fact: logic does not have any existential theorems. (shrink)

Ce texte n’est rien d’autre qu’une note de lecture en marge du livre du neuroscientifique Lionel Naccache, Le cinéma intérieur. Projection privée au cœur de la conscience (Odile Jacob, 2020). Tout en reconnaissant l’intérêt de cet ouvrage et plus généralement des recherches en neurosciences cognitives pour l’étude de la fiction, je mets en évidence le panfictionnalisme qui anime Naccache. Ce panfictionnalisme découle de l’absence d’une définition claire de la fiction et de la non-distinction qui en résulte entre fiction et récit.

We consider a paradigm of applications of Logic Engineering to illustrate the information interchange among different areas of knowledge, through the formal approach to some aspects of computing. We apply the paradigm to the area of distributed systems, taking the demand for specification formalisms, treated in three areas of knowledge: modal logics, first-order logic and algebra. In doing so, we obtain transfer of intuitions and results, establishing that, as far as input/output representation is concerned, these three formalisms are equivalent.

Cet article entend montrer que les « déficiences délibératives » qu’Aristote attribue à l’esclave (naturel) et à la femme en Pol. I 13, 1260a 4-15 et qui jouent un rôle explicatif important dans ce premier livre ne trouvent aucune justification théorique dans le corpus aristotélicien, que ce soit dans les ouvrages logico-métaphysiques, psycho-physiques ou éthico-politiques. En effet, il s’agit d’explications idéologiques, pseudoscientifiques, de la condition sociale inférieure de chacun de ces groupes. Ainsi, cet article veut aussi attirer l’attention sur une (...) certaine tendance des commentateurs à chercher à tout prix des circonstances atténuantes pour les thèses d’Aristote en la matière, tendance qui, signe des temps, s’est sans doute aggravée ces dernières décennies et qui, dans des cas extrêmes, va jusqu’à qualifier de « défendable » la défense aristotélicienne de l’esclavage. (shrink)

In this commentary I present five corollaries that follow the target article “How molecules became signs” by Terrence W. Deacon and also two outstanding questions the article rises. The corollaries revolve around the notion of interpretation as a form of thermodynamic work—specifically, non-expansion or “useful” work. This specific form of work, along with its path-dependent nature, may be critical for the fundamental understanding of semiotic processes, the subjective character of interpretation, and even the nature of viruses.

1. Sob o signo de Descartes, diálogos sobre filosofia moderna.

El texto que proponemos tratará de destacar el papel que desempeña la religión en la obra más naturalista de Zola, esto es en Les Rougon-Macquart. Pero, ¿por qué elegir esta obra y no sus novelas posteriores donde el elemento religioso es mucho más evidente? Nuestra intención es desmentir el tradicional calificativo de anticlerical y de enemigo de la religión que soportó Zola hasta bien entrado el siglo XX. En efecto, sus libros esconden todo un universo religioso demasiado complejo, sutil y (...) recurrente como para ser considerado simplemente como anticlerical. Muy al contrario, atribuimos a la religión una importancia decisiva en el universo poético zoliano, en su arquitectura narrativa y en la ontología subyacente. Queremos, pues, contribuir al descubrimiento del verdadero alcance del tema religioso en Zola, fuera ya de las perspectivas sociológicas o ideológicas desde las que más comúnmente se ha tratado. (shrink)

A theory of magnitudes involves criteria for their comparison, equivalence and addition. We examine these aspects from an abstract viewpoint, stressing independence and definability. These considerations are triggered by the so-called De Zolt’s principle in the theory of equivalence of plane polygons.

We compare fork arrow logic, an extension of arrow logic, and its natural first-order counterpart (the correspondence language) and show that both have the same expressive power. Arrow logic is a modal logic for reasoning about arrow structures, its expressive power is limited to a bounded fragment of first-order logic. Fork arrow logic is obtained by adding to arrow logic the fork modality (related to parallelism and synchronization). As a result, fork arrow logic attains the expressive power of its first-order (...) correspondence language, so both can express the same input–output behavior of processes. (shrink)

Logics for ‘generally’ were introduced for handling assertions with vague notions, by non-standard generalized quantifiers, and to reason qualitatively about them . Filter logic is intended to address ‘most’. Here, we show that filter logic can be faithfully embedded into a classical first-order theory of certain predicates, called compatible. We also use representative predicates to enable elimination of the generalized quantifier. These devices permit using classical first-order methods to reason about consequence in filter logic and help clarifying the role of (...) such extended logics for ‘generally’. (shrink)

… super scorpionem + pisciculum marinum +, super sagittarium oclopetam, super capricornum locustam marinam, super aquarium anserem, super pisces duos mullos. The unsoundness of the area following scorpionem is brought out by its extreme vagueness coupled with the stylistically inelegant repetition of marinum/ -am, - objectionable in Petronius. I should like to submit what I believe to be a plausible way of restoring the text.

Será que o conhecimento pode ser transmitido de forma representacional, por meio de uma explicação, sem que aquele que aprende faça uma experiência por si só daquilo que aprende? Este artigo, amparando-se no pensamento de Hume, Deleuze, Rancière e Gallo, pretende mostrar que somente a experiência com o objeto pode promover a aprendizagem efetiva, violentando o pensamento para que este busque por si só seu sentido e forme sua própria apreensão.

À Wilma, ma mère, qui n’est plus et à mon fils, qui n’est pas encore. Aristote affirme dans les Seconds Analytiques : « il est possible de signifier aussi les choses qui ne sont pas (σημαίνειν… τὰ μὴ ὄντα). » Même sans contextualiser cette phrase, on s’aperçoit d’emblée qu’à proprement parler il n’est pas question ici du néant, mais de ce qui n’est pas. Aristote le dit même au pluriel. En effet, chez Aristote nombreuses sont les choses...