Atypical Representations Research Articles

More Than Tortillas

The Chicano-centric reboot of Party of Five (2020) exemplifies a postracial, postnetwork representational strategy to diversify mainstream media programming. While only ten episodes were produced and aired, several transgressive elements of Party of Five elevate the visibility and discursive representations of Chicanas/os/xs: the show problematizes dominant ideologies, complicates gender roles, offers nuanced constructions of immigrants, and depicts experiences of racialization and acculturation. Although the Chicano-centric storylines move beyond simply recasting main characters as Chicanas/ os/xs, the reboot was released during a racially dissonant television era that limited its run to a single season, curtailing the impact of its atypical representations. While the show’s ruptures upend television storytelling conventions that have excluded Chicanas/os/xs, its continuities and hasty cancellation reveal entrenched modes of storytelling that still uphold white centrality.

Finite dimensional irreducible representations of Lie superalgebra D (2, 1; α)

This paper focuses on the finite dimensional irreducible representations of Lie superalgebra D(2, 1; α). We explicitly construct the finite dimensional representations of the superalgebra D(2, 1; α) by using the shift operator and differential operator representations. Unlike ordinary Lie algebra representation, there are typical and atypical representations for most superalgebras. Therefore, its typical and atypical representation conditions are also given. Our results are expected to be useful for the construction of primary fields of the corresponding current superalgebra of D(2, 1; α).

Sensory temporal sampling in time: an integrated model of the TSF and neural noise hypothesis as an etiological pathway for dyslexia.

Much progress has been made in research on the causal mechanisms of developmental dyslexia. In recent years, the "temporal sampling" account of dyslexia has evolved considerably, with contributions from neurogenetics and novel imaging methods resulting in a much more complex etiological view of the disorder. The original temporal sampling framework implicates disrupted neural entrainment to speech as a causal factor for atypical phonological representations. Yet, empirical findings have not provided clear evidence of a low-level etiology for this endophenotype. In contrast, the neural noise hypothesis presents a theoretical view of the manifestation of dyslexia from the level of genes to behavior. However, its relative novelty (published in 2017) means that empirical research focused on specific predictions is sparse. The current paper reviews dyslexia research using a dual framework from the temporal sampling and neural noise hypotheses and discusses the complementary nature of these two views of dyslexia. We present an argument for an integrated model of sensory temporal sampling as an etiological pathway for dyslexia. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of outstanding questions.

Using image reconstruction to investigate face perception in amnesia

Damage to the medial temporal lobe (MTL), which is traditionally considered to subserve memory exclusively, has been reported to contribute to impaired face perception. However, it remains unknown how exactly such brain lesions may impact face representations and in particular facial shape and surface information, both of which are crucial for face perception. The present study employed a behavioral-based image reconstruction approach to reveal the pictorial representations of face perception in two amnesic patients: DA, who has an extensive bilateral MTL lesion that extends beyond the MTL in the right hemisphere, and BL, who has damage to the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Both patients and their respective matched controls completed similarity judgments for pairs of faces, from which facial shape and surface features were subsequently derived and synthesized to create images of reconstructed facial appearance. Participants also completed a face oddity judgment task (FOJT) that has previously been shown to be sensitive to MTL cortical damage. While BL exhibited an impaired pattern of performance on the FOJT, DA demonstrated intact performance accuracy. Notably, the recovered pictorial content of faces was comparable between both patients and controls, although there was evidence for atypical face representations in BL particularly with regards to color. Our work provides novel insight into the face representations underlying face perception in two well-studied amnesic patients in the literature and demonstrates the applicability of the image reconstruction approach to individuals with brain damage.

Zombies in the story of the Holodomor: Brynykh’s outrage and the nation’s trauma

The gradual de-Sovietization of Eastern Europe caused the emergence of a “new historical wave” in literature, which combines various ways of covering historical material: from the traditional aesthetics of realism to playing with genres and stylistics on the border of socially acceptable techniques. The new Russian-Ukrainian war has actualized the issue of covering trauma in fiction. The question is whether a playful way of dealing with topics, sacralized by society, has the right to exist. The subject of the study is the poetics of Mykhailo Brynykh’s scandal and how it manifests itself in the author's text and personal branding. The purpose of the study is to outline the scandalous approach to highlighting the nation's trauma in Mykhailo Brynykh’s novel “Bread with cartilage” and to establish the correlation between the poetics of the scandal and the personality of the writer. The poetological and biographical methods were used to solve the tasks. As a result of the study, the following conclusions were made. The reaction of readers to new texts, where the topic of war appears, shows that they are more careful with authors who did not witness historical events but seek to use them for commercialization. An acceptable way, which will not cause public outrage, to use real stories to non-witness authors is a “bracketed representation” based on post-memory, which can be embodied by means of scandalous techniques that manifest themselves at various levels of the text. The main task of outrage is to expose the commonplace by rude means. The most obvious outrage in “Bread with cartilage” stands out precisely at the plot level, because the author combines the pop image of zombies with the topic of the Holodomor, which is sacralized in Ukrainian society. The trauma of the Holodomor is also manifested on different levels. According to the plot, the cannibalism gene is activated by alcohol, the abuse of which is a sign of social depression. The loss of identity is realized due to the stylistic play with the speech of one of the characters, which reveals the split of his personality. The correlation between the author's brand and his works with elements of outrage is important. Readers expect a prank from the writer, and therefore intuitively do not reject atypical representations. In his zombie novel, Mykhailo Brynykh used provocative means not only for the sake of playing with the reader, but also covered in a provocative way an event sacred to Ukrainians and achieved one of the main goals of the outrage — he exposed the problems of alcoholism or ignoring one's own history by rude means.

Decoding of speech information using EEG in children with dyslexia: Less accurate low-frequency representations of speech, not “Noisy” representations

The amplitude envelope of speech carries crucial low-frequency acoustic information that assists linguistic decoding. The sensory-neural Temporal Sampling (TS) theory of developmental dyslexia proposes atypical encoding of speech envelope information < 10 Hz, leading to atypical phonological representations. Here a backward linear TRF model and story listening were employed to estimate the speech information encoded in the electroencephalogram in the canonical delta, theta and alpha bands by 9-year-old children with and without dyslexia. TRF decoding accuracy provided an estimate of how faithfully the children’s brains encoded low-frequency envelope information. Between-group analyses showed that the children with dyslexia exhibited impaired reconstruction of speech information in the delta band. However, when the quality of speech encoding for each child was estimated using child-by-child decoding models, then the dyslexic children did not differ from controls. This suggests that children with dyslexia encode neither “noisy” nor “normal” representations of the speech signal, but different representations.

Impact of development and recent-onset epilepsy on language dominance.

Reorganization of the language network from typically left-lateralized frontotemporal regions to bilaterally distributed or right-lateralized networks occurs in anywhere from 25%-30% of patients with focal epilepsy. In patients who have been recently diagnosed with epilepsy, an important question remains as to whether it is the presence of seizures or the underlying epilepsy etiology that leads to atypical language representations. This question becomes even more interesting in pediatric samples, where the typical developmental processes of the language network may confer more variability and plasticity in the language network. We assessed a carefully selected cohort of children with recent-onset epilepsy to examine whether it is the effects of seizures or their underlying cause that leads to atypical language lateralization. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare language laterality in children with recently diagnosed focal unaware epilepsy and age-matched controls. Age at epilepsy onset (age 4 to 6 years vs age 7 to 12 years) was also examined to determine if age at onset influenced laterality. The majority of recent-onset patients and controls exhibited left-lateralized language. There was a significant interaction such that the relationship between epilepsy duration and laterality differed by age at onset. In children with onset after age 6, a longer duration of epilepsy was associated with less left-lateralized language dominance. In contrast, in children with onset between 4 and 6 years of age, a longer duration of epilepsy was not associated with less left language dominance. Our results demonstrate that although language remained largely left-lateralized in children recently diagnosed with epilepsy, the impact of seizure duration depended on age at onset, indicating that the timing of developmental and disease factors are important in determining language dominance.

Atypical Organization of Praxis and Language: A Look Back

Atypical representations of praxis and language were studied in two forms and combinations: bilateral organization, and right lateralization, independently for each function; when the atypically represented praxis dissociates from typically lateralized language; and when both praxis and language have atypical forms. Direct differences between bilateral and right-lateralized representations were either marginal (for praxis), or nonexistent (for language). Because atypical organization of praxis is over twice as frequent as language in its atypical form, sample size might be an issue only for the latter (as atypical organization of language is very rare). Group averages in their dissociations, and associations in atypical forms, revealed the expected representations of the two functions. These outcomes indicate that merging the two atypical representations of praxis, or language, into one atypical group can reveal the critical aspects of their atypicality, including subcortical contributions, without seriously impeding correct interpretation of the essential underlying neural mechanisms.

Atypical Series Representations of Riemann-Integrable Functions

Consider the following series and the usual questions such a thing brings up: does it converge and, if so, then what to? (*) 122+232−242+452−462+472−482+−⋯. For clarity, we note that the next eight...

Exact results and Schur expansions in quiver Chern-Simons-matter theories

We study several quiver Chern-Simons-matter theories on the three-sphere, combining the matrix model formulation with a systematic use of Mordell’s integral, computing partition functions and checking dualities. We also consider Wilson loops in ABJ(M) theories, distinguishing between typical (long) and atypical (short) representations and focusing on the former. Using the Berele-Regev factorization of supersymmetric Schur polynomials, we express the expectation value of the Wilson loops in terms of sums of observables of two factorized copies of U(N ) pure Chern-Simons theory on the sphere. Then, we use the Cauchy identity to study the partition functions of a number of quiver Chern-Simons-matter models and the result is interpreted as a perturbative expansion in the parameters tj = −e2πmj , where mj are the masses. Through the paper, we incorporate different generalizations, such as deformations by real masses and/or Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters, the consideration of a Romans mass in the gravity dual, and adjoint matter.

Probing language processing in cochlear implant users with visual word recognition: effects of lexical and orthographic word properties

ABSTRACT Deaf individuals who learned a spoken language with the aid of a cochlear implant (CI) often experience difficulties with reading. In the present study, we investigate this issue by assessing the impact of lexical and orthographic predictors on visual word recognition in early and late deaf CI-users. Early deaf CI-users were comparable to age-matched hearing controls, for both response accuracy and latencies, whereas late deaf CI-users were slower albeit similarly accurate with respect to age-matched controls. Analyses of the impact of lexical and orthographic predictors, however, revealed that early deaf-CI users were slower than controls in recognising low frequency words and words with high proportion of consonants. In conclusion, early deaf individuals who developed their language using a CI show qualitative differences in visual word processing, above and beyond the overall performance. This suggests that typical overall performance may emerge also in the context of atypical lexical and word form representations.

Neural Responses to Musical Rhythm in Chinese Children With Reading Difficulties.

The perception of the musical rhythm has been suggested as one of the predicting factors for reading abilities. Several studies have demonstrated that children with reading difficulties (RD) show reduced neural sensitivity in musical rhythm perception. Despite this prior evidence, the association between music and reading in Chinese is still controversial. In the present study, we sought to answer the question of whether the musical rhythm perception of Chinese children with RD is intact or not, providing further clues on how reading and music might be interlinked across languages. Oddball paradigm was adapted for testing the difference of musical rhythm perception, including predictable and unpredictable omission, in elementary school children with RD and typically developing age-controlled children with magnetoencephalography (MEG). We used the cluster-based permutation tests to examine the statistical difference in neural responses. The event-related field (ERF) components, mismatch negativity (MMNm) and P3a(m), were elicited by the rhythmical patterns with omitted strong beats. Specifically, differential P3a(m) components were found smaller in children with RD when comparing the rhythmical patterns between predictable and unpredicted omission patterns. The results showed that brain responses to the omission in the strong beat of an unpredicted rhythmic pattern were significantly smaller in Chinese children with RD. This indicated that children with RD may be impaired in the auditory sensitivity of rhythmic beats. This also suggests that children with reading difficulties may have atypical neural representations of rhythm that could be one of the underlying factors in dysfluent reading development.

Pieri Type Rules and GL(2|2) Tensor Products

We derive a closed formula for the tensor product of a family of mixed tensors using Deligne’s interpolating category underline {Rep}(GL_{0}). We use this formula to compute the tensor product of a family of irreducible GL(n|n)-representations. This includes the tensor product of any two maximal atypical irreducible representations of GL(2|2).

Fraction images: the case of six and a half

ABSTRACTWe explore prospective elementary-school teachers’ attempts to provide signs and symbols with mathematical meaning in a case involving non-integers as numerator or denominator. The data comprises 33 responses to a task inquiring about the existence of numbers between 1/6 and 1/7, in which the participants were asked to compose a hypothetical classroom dialogue addressing this issue, and provide explanations on the mathematics involved. The analysis utilised the theoretical frameworks of “semiotic representation” and “concept image”. The findings indicate a strong reliance on prevalent fraction images and difficulties in assigning meaning to “6½” when it appears in the numerator or denominator of a fraction representation. These difficulties are examined via three approaches demonstrated in the scripts, relating to the symbolic representation of fractions, visual representation of fractions, and permissible operations on fractions. We suggest teacher-education courses may put further emphasis on the set model of fractions and atypical semiotic representations.

Common Visual Representations as a Source for Misconceptions of Preservice Teachers in a Geometry Connection Course

In this paper, we demonstrate how atypical visual representations of a triangle, square or a parallelogram may hinder students' understanding of a median and altitude. We analyze responses and reasoning given by 16 preservice middle school teachers in a Geometry Connection class. Particularly, the data were garnered from three specific questions posed on a cumulative final exam, which focused on computing and comparing areas of parallelograms, and triangles represented by atypical images. We use the notions of concept image and concept definition as our theoretical framework for an analysis of the students' responses. Our findings have implication on how typical images can impact students' cognitive process and their concept image. We provide a number of suggestions that can foster conceptualization of the notions of median and altitude in a triangle that can be realized in an enacted lesson.

The Prosodic Marionette: A method to visualize speech prosody and assess perceptual and expressive prosodic abilities

Speech technology applications have emerged as a promising method for assessing speech-language abilities and at-home therapy, including prosody. Many applications assume that observed prosody errors are due to an underlying disorder; however, they may be instead due to atypical representations of prosody such as immature and developing speech motor control, or compensatory adaptations by those with congenital neuromotor disorders. The result is the same – vocal productions may not be a reliable measure of prosody knowledge. Therefore, in this study we examine the usability of a new technology application to express prosody knowledge without relying on vocalizations using the Prosodic Marionette (PM) graphical user interface for artificial resynthesis of speech prosody. We tested the ability of neurotypical participants to use the PM interface to control prosody through 2D movements of word-icon blocks vertically (fundamental frequency), horizontally (pause length), and by stretching (word duration) to correctly mark target prosodic contrasts. Nearly all participants used vertical movements to correctly mark fundamental frequency changes where appropriate (e.g., raised second word for pitch accent on second word). A smaller percentage of participants used the stretching feature to mark duration changes; when used, participants correctly lengthened the appropriate word (e.g., stretch the second item to accent the second word). Our results suggest the PM interface can be used reliably to correctly signal speech prosody, which validates future use of the interface to assess prosody in clinical and developmental populations with atypical speech motor control.

Brief Report: Simulations Suggest Heterogeneous Category Learning and Generalization in Children with Autism is a Result of Idiosyncratic Perceptual Transformations.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes have difficulties learning categories. Past computational work suggests that such deficits may result from atypical representations in cortical maps. Here we use neural networks to show that idiosyncratic transformations of inputs can result in the formation of feature maps that impair category learning for some inputs, but not for other closely related inputs. These simulations suggest that large inter- and intra-individual variations in learning capacities shown by children with ASD across similar categorization tasks may similarly result from idiosyncratic perceptual encoding that is resistant to experience-dependent changes. If so, then both feedback- and exposure-based category learning should lead to heterogeneous, stimulus-dependent deficits in children with ASD.

‘Am I moving?’ An illusion of agency and ownership in mirror-touch synaesthesia

Mirror-touch synaesthesia (MTS) is a condition that leads people to experience tactile sensations on their own body when watching at someone else being touched. Recent accounts postulate that MTS is linked with atypical self-other representations. It has been suggested that this may be associated with disturbances in two main components of self-awareness: sense of agency and sense of ownership. This study investigates changes in sense of agency and sense of ownership in MTS. Using a paradigm that deliberately blurs the boundaries between the self and the other, we not only found that MTS affects sense of agency and sense of ownership, but that these aspects of self-awareness are affected differently. We suggest that alterations in sense of agency can be linked to more profound disturbances in sense of ownership in MTS, and that MTS may be characterised by underlying difficulties in self-other processing.

Aberrant Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor as a Signature of Natural Selection

Natural selection inference methods often target one mode of selection of a particular age and strength. However, detecting multiple modes simultaneously, or with atypical representations, would be advantageous for understanding a population's evolutionary history. We have developed an anomaly detection algorithm using distributions of pairwise time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) to simultaneously detect multiple modes of natural selection in whole-genome sequences. As natural selection distorts local genealogies in distinct ways, the method uses pairwise TMRCA distributions, which approximate genealogies at a nonrecombining locus, to detect distortions without targeting a specific mode of selection. We evaluate the performance of our method, TSel, for both positive and balancing selection over different time-scales and selection strengths and compare TSel's performance with that of other methods. We then apply TSel to the Complete Genomics diversity panel, a set of human whole-genome sequences, and recover loci previously inferred to be under positive or balancing selection.

Can Neurotypical Individuals Read Autistic Facial Expressions? Atypical Production of Emotional Facial Expressions in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The difficulties encountered by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when interacting with neurotypical (NT, i.e. nonautistic) individuals are usually attributed to failure to recognize the emotions and mental states of their NT interaction partner. It is also possible, however, that at least some of the difficulty is due to a failure of NT individuals to read the mental and emotional states of ASD interaction partners. Previous research has frequently observed deficits of typical facial emotion recognition in individuals with ASD, suggesting atypical representations of emotional expressions. Relatively little research, however, has investigated the ability of individuals with ASD to produce recognizable emotional expressions, and thus, whether NT individuals can recognize autistic emotional expressions. The few studies which have investigated this have used only NT observers, making it impossible to determine whether atypical representations are shared among individuals with ASD, or idiosyncratic. This study investigated NT and ASD participants’ ability to recognize emotional expressions produced by NT and ASD posers. Three posing conditions were included, to determine whether potential group differences are due to atypical cognitive representations of emotion, impaired understanding of the communicative value of expressions, or poor proprioceptive feedback. Results indicated that ASD expressions were recognized less well than NT expressions, and that this is likely due to a genuine deficit in the representation of typical emotional expressions in this population. Further, ASD expressions were equally poorly recognized by NT individuals and those with ASD, implicating idiosyncratic, rather than common, atypical representations of emotional expressions in ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 262–271. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.