Reality Research Articles

Altered brain dynamics of facial emotion processing in schizophrenia: a combined EEG/fMRI study

Facial stimuli are relevant social cues for humans and essential signals for adequate social interaction. Impairments in face processing are well-documented in schizophrenia and linked to symptomatology, yet the underlying neural dynamics remain unclear. Here, we investigated the processing and underlying neural temporal dynamics of task-irrelevant emotional face stimuli using combined EEG/fMRI in 14 individuals with schizophrenia and 14 matched healthy controls. Specifically, fMRI-informed region-of-interests were subjected to EEG-Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) analyses. Among six fMRI-informed EEG-DCM models, alterations in effective connectivity emerged between the primary visual cortex (V1) and the left occipital fusiform gyrus (lOFG). Specifically, individuals with schizophrenia showed enhanced backward connectivity from the lOFG to V1 for stimuli preceded by fearful (but not happy or neutral) faces. Connectivity strength was strongly correlated with self-reported difficulties in comprehending, processing, or articulating emotions (as assessed by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20) in individuals with schizophrenia but not in healthy controls. Enhanced backward connectivity from the lOFG to V1 potentially indicates heightened attention towards fearful surroundings and a propensity to assign salience to these stimuli in individuals with schizophrenia. The link to TAS-20 scores indicates that this neural deficit has real-world implications for how individuals with schizophrenia perceive and relate to their emotions and the external world, potentially contributing to the social and cognitive difficulties observed in the disorder.

A REVIEW ARTICLE ON PHYSIOLOGY OF VISION

The visual pathway predominantly travels beneath the cortex for most of its length. Visual signals in the optic nerves may intersect at the chiasma and then proceed through the optic tracts. The term Ayurveda derives from two words: "Ayu," meaning life, and "Ved," signifying knowledge or science. Therefore, "AYURVEDA" as a whole translates to "the science of life." According to Ayurvedic principles, the universe consists of five funda-mental elements. The body maintains an ideal equilibrium of these elements, and any disruption to this balance results in a state of unhealthiness we refer to as illness. The classical texts of Ayurveda provide detailed insights into the physiology of the sense organs, sensation, perception, and the mind's role in the perception process in an exceptional manner. Indriya (sense faculty) serves as the specialized tool that helps the soul in recognizing even the slightest changes in both the external and internal environments. Indriya acts as the essential element that differentiates living entities from non-living ones. The concept of Indriya pancha panchak, introduced by Achar-ya Charaka, delves into both the anatomical and physiological features of the sense organs. The five sensory faculties include sight (chakshurendriya), hearing (shrotrendriya), smell (ghranendriya), taste (rasanendriya), and touch (sparshnendriya). Each sensory faculty is associated with a specific object: sound (shabda) pertains to hearing, touch (sparsha) relates to the tactile sense, color (rupa) corresponds to sight, taste (rasa) is associated with the gustatory sense, and smell (gandha) links with the olfactory sense organ. Every sensory faculty pos-sesses an excess of one material element. Developed from particular material constituents, each specific sense faculty perceives the properties of its corresponding element. The mechanics of how the external world is per-ceived is referred to as the visual process or the physiology of vision. Ayurveda introduces a special concept known as the Tridosha theory. The three fundamental elements of the human body are collectively termed Tridosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). The Tridosha governs the physiological and voluntary activities of the body. Ayur-veda elaborates on the physiology of vision by considering the roles of vata and pitta. Pitta encompasses five different types: Ranjak, Pachak, Alochak, Sadhak, and Bhrajak. The "Alochak Pitta" is recognized as the seat of "Drishti." The retinal pigments Rhodopsin, Iodopsin, and Melanin symbolize Alochak Pitta. Alochak pitta is fur-ther categorized into two types: chakshu vaisheshik located in the eye and buddhi vaisheshik found in the brain. There are three stages in this visual process: the light refraction phase, the phase in which light energy is trans-formed into an electrical impulse, and lastly, the peripheral and central neurophysiology involving the geniculate bodies and optic radiations prior to synapsing in the occipital cortex.

Dynamic tracking of objects in the macaque dorsomedial frontal cortex

A central tenet of cognitive neuroscience is that humans build an internal model of the external world and use mental simulation of the model to perform physical inferences. Decades of human experiments have shown that behaviors in many physical reasoning tasks are consistent with predictions from the mental simulation theory. However, evidence for the defining feature of mental simulation – that neural population dynamics reflect simulations of physical states in the environment – is limited. We test the mental simulation hypothesis by combining a naturalistic ball-interception task, large-scale electrophysiology in non-human primates, and recurrent neural network modeling. We find that neurons in the monkeys’ dorsomedial frontal cortex (DMFC) represent task-relevant information about the ball position in a multiplexed fashion. At a population level, the activity pattern in DMFC comprises a low-dimensional neural embedding that tracks the ball both when it is visible and invisible, serving as a neural substrate for mental simulation. A systematic comparison of different classes of task-optimized RNN models with the DMFC data provides further evidence supporting the mental simulation hypothesis. Our findings provide evidence that neural dynamics in the frontal cortex are consistent with internal simulation of external states in the environment.

Interpreter-computer interaction in RSI: the role of graphical user interfaces in interpreters’ perception

Remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) has become widespread in conference interpreting (Braun, 2019; Roziner & Shlesinger, 2010; Seeber & Fox, 2022). This modality of interpreting increases the cognitive load of interpreters, who are already working in a very demanding setting (Gile, 2009; Seeber, 2017; Zhu & Aryadoust, 2022). Beyond the challenges that render simultaneous interpreting cognitively demanding in itself, interpreters now must also contend with various software platforms (Fantinuoli, 2018; Saeed et al., 2023). These platforms are rarely co-developed with interpreters, which can lead to usability issues, as we will explore. To operate these platforms effectively, interpreters rely on graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which serve their intended purpose but are infrequently designed with optimal user experience in mind. When interpreting is conducted through RSI platforms, technology acts as a mediator between interpreters and the world (Ihde, 1990, 2002). In such scenarios, technology not only mediates but also shapes our perception and understanding of the world. Certain technologies enable interpreters to extend their senses, as is the case with RSI platforms, while others, such as telephone interpreting, may limit their perception. In the realm of human-computer interaction, technology significantly influences both interpreters’ rendition and their approach to interpretation. Technology also supports the interpreting process, particularly during the terminology preparation phase. Various forms of technology operate unobtrusively in the background, including the internet, email communication, accounting programs, booking systems, and more. On the one hand, reliance on technology compels us to adhere to technical constraints, such as those presented by GUIs. On the other, technology facilitates our perception of and engagement with the external world. This paper focuses on the GUIs used in RSI and seeks to investigate how interpreters’ cognitive capacities are taxed during RSI sessions and to what extent the design of a GUI is supportive or distracting. To this end, we conducted six semi-structured interviews with professional RSI interpreters. By comparing five widely used RSI software platforms (Nimdzi, 2022), we aimed to gain insight into the interpreters’ experience and preferences regarding GUIs. Our findings show that the use of a GUI while performing RSI exerts both positive and negative effects on interpreters’ cognitive resources and underscore the critical importance of GUI design. Moreover, based on these findings, we propose a concept for a GUI design that is expected to address these issues effectively.

"Home" as a Geography of Resistance and Resurrection

The first language of the article will be written in the upper heading. The abstract should be between 150-300 words. The abstract consists of a concise explanation of the article's problem, theory, purpose, material and method, findings, and conclusions. The fact that the article is research or compilation does not change the number of words. The abstract is written in a single paragraph. The abstract is the part where the reader will want to have general information about the article. Therefore, it is important that the abstract is concise and encouraging for the reader to read the rest of the article. Since the abstracts of the articles reveal the strong connection of the interests of the author/authors with the work, the inclusivity of the abstracts and the core of the content should be applied sensitively. Besides the referees and the editors who review the article consider the abstract first, the abstracts make a connection of an article with the external world. In this respect, it is also important that the abstracts are written in simple and plain language. The citation should not be made in the abstracts; however, it can be made in the extended abstract. The extended abstract of the article should be written only for Turkish articles. The extended abstract should be added to the last page of the article. The extended abstract application in our journal will start from our 2022/2 issue.

МIRROR OF THE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS / ՎՃԱՐԱՅԻՆ ՀԱՇՎԵԿՇՌԻ ՀԱՅԵԼԻՆ

During the formation of capitalism, commodity exchange predominated in economic relations, and the concept of the balance of payments had a narrow meaning, primarily focusing on the import and export of goods. However, over time, the nature of economic ties between countries changed, revealing "invisible" elements characterizing the balance of payments, encompassing all transactions with the external world. This issue is particularly crucial for countries with a small economy. Analyses by A. Markosyan and M. Markosyan for the former Soviet Union republics during 2017-2021 show a negative balance of payments in Armenia. The idea of the viability of "economic unions" is proposed, where positive trends were observed in the aggregate balances of the balance of payments (both in the Soviet Union and the OSCE). When forming economic unions, it is essential to adhere to the principles of national interest and participation. For countries transitioning to a market economy, the acceptable threshold of a negative balance of payments remains a subject of debate.

DIGITAL VISUAL ART AS A SOCIAL INTEGRATOR

This article examines the evolving role of digital art as a social integrator, with a particular focus on the digital art scene in Kazakhstan. Art has long sought to create emotional and spiritual balance, mediating between contrasts like past and future, reality and dreams, and internal and external worlds. Today, with the rapid development of technology and globalization, art increasingly engages with digital media to perform its communicative and harmonizing functions. The work of contemporary Kazakh digital artists, such as Danabol Birlesbek and Magnificum, addresses significant social issues, including national identity, domestic violence, and environmental concerns. Through their art, these creators provoke reflection on the rapidly changing society in Kazakhstan. Additionally, the article explores the innovative approaches taken by multimedia exhibitions, such as those at Lumiere-Hall in Almaty. These exhibits merge traditional art with new media, transforming the experience into something more immersive and interactive. For instance, the exhibition Salvador Dali. Cryptography blends recognizable Dali imagery with symbolic and interactive digital elements, requiring viewers to actively interpret the narrative rather than passively observe. The article also highlights the work of Nargis Rakhmanova and other Kazakh artists who use digital art as a bridge between traditional cultural values and contemporary social issues. These artists contribute not only to the development of art but also to public discourse on topics such as gender, identity, and family dynamics. By incorporating modern technology into their practices, Kazakh digital artists play a crucial role in shaping the country's cultural transformation and fostering deeper societal dialogue.

ПРОСТІР КРИПТОАКТИВІВ: ЛОГІКА РОЗВИТКУ, СТРУКТУРА, ВЛАСТИВОСТІ ТА ВЗАЄМОДІЇ. Стаття перша. Ідеологія, технології, шлях до розмаїття та типологія криптоактивів

The article explores the complexity and diversity of the crypto-asset space, examining the logic of its development, the dynamics of interactions within the ecosystem, and with the external world. It demonstrates how the open-source nature of crypto projects and the emergence of tools for simplified token creation on third-party blockchains have transformed the crypto-asset space into one of unlimited financial asset creation. The structure of the crypto-asset space is represented through a typology of crypto-assets based on technological, functional, and socio-economic characteristics. By studying thirty of the largest crypto-asset projects by market capitalization, several distinct groups that define the construction of crypto-asset space have been identified: bitcoin and ether as the poles of crypto space development; alternative to bitcoin payment cryptoassets; cryptocurrency based back-office solutions for traditional cross-border payments; stablecoins; coins of alternative blockchain platforms with innovative consensus mechanisms and scalability solutions (Layer 1 and Layer 2); crypto-assets of projects for scaling other blockchains and facilitating efficient interoperability between blockchains and the external world; crypto-assets of projects expanding existing successful virtual networks; crypto-assets of centralized cryptocurrency exchanges; DeFi project coins; meme coins; enhanced privacy coins; and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The article reveals the ongoing development of the crypto-asset space in the following directions: solving the blockchain trilemma considering project goals; ensuring interoperability of decentralized networks; creating new forms of collaboration with traditional financial intermediaries and institutions (which often contrasts with the original cypherpunk ideology). It is argued that the space of decentralized interactions, mediated by crypto-assets, has become a domain of extreme volatility, hyper-financialization, and a space where it is difficult to separate technological value from speculative crypto markets. It also highlights the presence of centralized, opaque, and unregulated hyper-intermediaries, with no clear distinction between professional and non-professional participants in the crypto market. Furthermore, this space seeks additional sources of trust from the traditional world, including through sovereign currency-backed stablecoins, partnerships with traditional financial intermediaries, and regulatory lobbying. In the first article, the ideological foundations, basic technologies of the crypto- asset space, bitcoin and ether as the poles of development in this space, and the typology of crypto-assets are examined.

Editor's view: Is the brain's perception of ideas an underappreciated human sense?

Humans have developed sensory organs for their 'major' senses and specific neuronal receptors for a number of additional senses. Although information from sensors is integrated and processed in the brain, the brain itself has not been proposed as a sensory organ associated with a particular sense - at least not in Western culture or scientific literature. Perception of ideas has many elements of a separate sense, with the brain being a primary sensory organ. I support this notion based on 17 years of experience in the application of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method for setting research priorities, which resulted in more than 150 publications involving thousands of experts who prioritised more than 20 000 research ideas. This body of work allows for the generalisation of the following key concepts: defining an idea in the context of the brain's sensory perception; defining the point of origin, sensory qualities, and common types of ideas; considering responses of the body to the brain's sensory exposure to ideas; and defining the key criteria that the brain uses to discriminate between and prioritise ideas. The human brain is continuously being exposed to ideas, which can be self-generated, triggered by information from other sensors, or introduced from the external world. From the brain's sensory perspective, ideas are competing possibilities of purposeful activities that, if followed, would be expected to result in an alternative version of the future. Pursuing ideas tends to drive most of human activity. It requires prioritising between short-, mid-, and long-term investment of energy and time. The brain's sensory role is to continuously assess many competing ideas and prioritise between them based on motivational/emotional ('attractiveness'), operational/rational ('feasibility') and outcome-related perspective ('impact'). Exposure to new ideas may instigate physiological and psychological responses, ranging from enthusiasm and excitement to feeling a threat or fear. Ideas can be used to mobilise large groups of people whose brains respond with excessive enthusiasm that can sometimes be fanatical. The judgment on the attractiveness, feasibility, and potential impact of ideas is affected by education, experience, and cognitive abilities. This sense may be sharpened through an increased level of expert knowledge and experience. Misinformation and disinformation are dangerous because they affect the brain's perception of ideas. Impairment of this inherent sense may perhaps contribute to some mental health issues. The proposed view of the brain as the sensor of ideas could lead to many qualitative or quantitative experiments to further explore the properties of this sense in both individuals and populations, establishing 'the science of ideas'.

Shifting reliance between the internal and external world: A meta-analysis on visual-working memory use.

Visual working memory (VWM) is a fundamental cognitive capacity that allows us to temporarily hold visual information, but storage is effortful and content-fragile. Rather than loading VWM to the maximum, individuals usually rely on the external world and access information just in time. However, participants do rely on VWM more as access costs to external information increase. This phenomenon is commonly investigated with so-called copy tasks, which differ across paradigms, manipulations, and dependent variables. We here present findings of a meta-analysis into the reliability and consistency of shifts in the assumed trade-off between storing and sampling across manipulations and dependent variables, using data from 28 experiments. We found that all cost manipulations led to substantial shifts from external sampling to storage in VWM. Cost manipulations did not differ in their effect across studies even though such differences are reported within studies. All dependent variables were associated with clear but different strong effects. We argue that the differences observed between indicators are not only due to sensitivity differences but also due to differential aspects of behavior that are measured. New variables and techniques might now pave the way to understanding the trade-off between storing and sampling more in-depth. Collectively, our findings suggest that the reliance on VWM or the external world shifts consistently as access cost is increased, is largely irrespective of cost manipulations, and expresses itself reliably across dependent variables. With this work, we seek to help establish standards and comparability across this growing body of work.

Delboeufian Reflections on Agency, Consciousness, and Evolution

The work of Joseph Delb??uf (1831‐1896), a philosopher, psychologist, and mathematician, provides fresh insights on the relationship between agency, consciousness, and evolution. Without agency, Delb??uf argued, the distinction between the self and the external world would be impossible, the function of feelings such as pain and pleasure would be incomprehensible, and consciousness would not have evolved. Delb??uf also posited a psychological stage of evolution, preceding that of natural selection, whereby sentient organisms influence the selection of their own traits through the decisions they make during their reproductive lives. In relating these ideas and others, I show how Delb??uf’s work is relevant to current scholarship on the nature and evolution of consciousness.

Online Active Continual Learning for Robotic Lifelong Object Recognition.

In real-world applications, robotic systems collect vast amounts of new data from ever-changing environments over time. They need to continually interact and learn new knowledge from the external world to adapt to the environment. Particularly, lifelong object recognition in an online and interactive manner is a crucial and fundamental capability for robotic systems. To meet this realistic demand, in this article, we propose an online active continual learning (OACL) framework for robotic lifelong object recognition, in the scenario of both classes and domains changing with dynamic environments. First, to reduce the labeling cost as much as possible while maximizing the performance, a new online active learning (OAL) strategy is designed by taking both the uncertainty and diversity of samples into account to protect the information volume and distribution of data. In addition, to prevent catastrophic forgetting and reduce memory costs, a novel online continual learning (OCL) algorithm is proposed based on the deep feature semantic augmentation and a new loss-based deep model and replay buffer update, which can mitigate the class imbalance between the old and new classes and alleviate confusion between two similar classes. Moreover, the mistake bound of the proposed method is analyzed in theory. OACL allows robots to select the most representative new samples to query labels and continually learn new objects and new variants of previously learned objects from a nonindependent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) data stream without catastrophic forgetting. Extensive experiments conducted on real lifelong robotic vision datasets demonstrate that our algorithm, even trained with fewer labeled samples and replay exemplars, can achieve state-of-the-art performance on OCL tasks.

Network Threat Detection and Modelling

Network threat detection and modelling are critical aspects of network security in an organization since the many devices connecting to the internet can be vulnerable. Network attacks are unauthorized actions on the digital assets within an organizational network. Malicious parties usually execute network attacks to alter, destroy, or steal private data. Perpetrators in network attacks tend to target network perimeters to gain access to internal systems. In this project the incoming traffic and outgoing network traffic is analyzed and from the several devices in an organization and security determined and made easy to visualize by the security analyst to take necessary action. Firstly, the network traffic related information is collected assets or end points in an organization which are exposed to the external world. In fact, the assets will be having data related to external world in the form of IP addresses to which domain or traffic they are being connected or they being accepted. These IP addresses are processed to obtain the actual location and domain which is used to visualize the geographical location of incoming and outgoing traffic and some data like port number are also collected to know the protocol being used by assets are secure. And vulnerable port numbers are displayed in user Interface to take necessary action by the security analyst. In this project for threat detection. The some of the standard compliance like CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks are used to determine the network vulnerabilities in the assets that can be easily attacked by the attackers and the firewall configurations and other network configurations are verified according to these standards. If any of the required check or compliance failing is indicated as a threat in the UI so that security analyst can take necessary action on that particular asset

Husserl’s Transcendental Subjectivity, Transcendental Person, and the World

ABSTRACT In this article, we attempt to explore Husserl’s transcendental subjectivity and its relation to the world. Our focus is on the question of whether Husserl’s transcendental subjectivity can be seen as transcendental ‘being-in-the-world,’ in response to critical examinations made by philosophers such as Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Patočka, and Biemel. While their critiques have complex implications and are subject to debate, they contribute to our understanding of the intricate relationship between transcendental subjectivity and the world. It is important to clarify that this article aims to defend Husserl’s perspective rather than provide an exhaustive analysis of the critiques. We argue that, according to Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology, transcendental subjectivity is, in fact, integrated within the world’s transcendental structure. This argument is supported by three main points. Firstly, Husserl’s transcendental subjectivity and its internal consciousness are not secluded but remain open and intentionally related to the external world. Secondly, Husserl clarifies the sense of transcendental ‘being-in-the-world,’ with subjective constitution revealing its sense. Lastly, Husserl proposes the notion of transcendental person as an attempt to address how transcendental subjectivity exists concretely in the life-world. This holistic perspective sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of transcendentally grounded subjectivity and its embodied existence in the world with the essential state of ‘being-in-the world.’

An audiovisual cognitive optimization strategy guided by salient object ranking for intelligent visual prothesis systems

Objective.Visual prostheses are effective tools for restoring vision, yet real-world complexities pose ongoing challenges. The progress in AI has led to the emergence of the concept of intelligent visual prosthetics with auditory support, leveraging deep learning to create practical artificial vision perception beyond merely restoring natural sight for the blind.Approach.This study introduces an object-based attention mechanism that simulates human gaze points when observing the external world to descriptions of physical regions. By transforming this mechanism into a ranking problem of salient entity regions, we introduce prior visual attention cues to build a new salient object ranking (SaOR) dataset, and propose a SaOR network aimed at providing depth perception for prosthetic vision. Furthermore, we propose a SaOR-guided image description method to align with human observation patterns, toward providing additional visual information by auditory feedback. Finally, the integration of the two aforementioned algorithms constitutes an audiovisual cognitive optimization strategy for prosthetic vision.Main results.Through conducting psychophysical experiments based on scene description tasks under simulated prosthetic vision, we verify that the SaOR method improves the subjects' performance in terms of object identification and understanding the correlation among objects. Additionally, the cognitive optimization strategy incorporating image description further enhances their prosthetic visual cognition.Significance.This offers valuable technical insights for designing next-generation intelligent visual prostheses and establishes a theoretical groundwork for developing their visual information processing strategies. Code will be made publicly available.

Digitally extended knowledge

The hypothesis of extended cognition says that cognitive processes and mental states extend to include extra-organismic parts of the external world, provided certain conditions on cognitive integration are satisfied. Moreover, if knowledge is assumed to be a mental state, knowledge is, by a similar line of reasoning, equally extended. However, extended knowledge presents an additional challenge to do with cognitive bloat, given that knowledge is widely regarded as a distinctive cognitive achievement. This paper explores the idea that different types of software systems, rather than specific external devices, may serve to extend knowledge beyond our bodily boundaries, and if so whether this new hypothesis of digitally extended knowledge leads to any untoward expansion of knowledge.

Epithetization as a way of categorizing football discourse

INTRODUCTION. The relevance of the study is due to the need to study the linguistic methods of categorization of socially significant fragments of the external world and different types of discourse. The purpose of the study is to identify epithets characterizing the game of the Russian national team and its rivals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup; to determine the composition of their thematic groups and subgroups, as well as linguistic means that are carriers of the characteristic nomination, in the process of lexical, grammatical and functional categorization of linguistic units.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The subject of the study is a feature nomination (epithetation) as a way of categorizing sports (football) discourse based on the material of the journalistic book by the Russian sports journalist I.Ya. Rabiner “Team-2018: Champions of Our Hearts”. During the analysis of the linguistic material, the method of continuous sampling, contextual analysis, the method of semantic-cognitive analysis, the modeling method, and the statistical method are used.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. In the process of lexical and functional categorization of characteristic words (epithets), two thematic groups were identified: 1) epithets characterizing the game of the Russian national team; 2) epithets characterizing the game of the opponent. Each group is represented by several subgroups. Cases of interaction of epithetization and metaphorization were revealed, demonstrating the transition from one conceptual area to another (crazy blow, aggressive football, iron penalty). In the process of grammatical categorization of epithets, means of expressing the characteristic nomination (adjectival and adverbial vocabulary) and 8 structural models of epithet complexes were determined.CONCLUSION. According to statistics, the number of epithets characterizing the play of the Russian national team is 5 times greater than the number of epithets characterizing the play of the opponent; the number of subgroups of the first thematic group is almost 2 times greater than the number of subgroups of the second thematic group. Such quantitative indicators reveal the ethnocultural and personal features of the linguistic understanding of a fragment of the world and emphasize attention, special interest in national (Russian) realities. Many epithets characterizing the play of the Russian national team have a positive connotation (wonderful attack, united, integral, brotherly play, excellent defender), in contrast to epithets with a negative connotation characterizing the play of the opponent (terrible, panicky play, empty, slow and clumsy players).

From Natural to Artificial: The Transformation of the Concept of Logical Consequence in Bolzano, Carnap, and Tarski

Our standard model-theoretic definition of logical consequence is originally based on Alfred Tarski’s (1936) semantic definition, which, in turn, is based on Rudolf Carnap’s (1934) similar definition. In recent literature, Tarski’s definition is described as a conceptual analysis of the intuitive ‘everyday’ concept of consequence or as an explication of it, but the use of these terms is loose and largely unaccounted for. I argue that the definition is not an analysis but an explication, in the Carnapian sense: the replacement of the inexact everyday concept with an exact one. Some everyday intuitions were thus brought into a precise form, others were ignored and forgotten. How exactly did the concept of logical consequence change in this process? I suggest that we could find some of the forgotten intuitions in Bernard Bolzano’s (1837) definition of ‘deducibility’, which is traditionally viewed as the main precursor of Tarski’s definition from a time before formalized languages. It turns out that Bolzano’s definition is subject to just the kind of natural features—paradoxicality of everyday language, Platonism about propositions, and dependence on the external world—that Tarski sought to tame by constructing an artificial concept for the special needs of mathematical logic.

(Keynote) Biologically Targeted Janus Synapse between Ultramicroelectrode and Primary Neuron

Seamless neural interfaces conjoining neurons and electrochemical devices hold great potential for highly efficient signal transmission across neuronal systems and the external world. Signal transmission through chemical sensing and stimulation via electrochemistry is remarkable because communication occurs through the same chemical language of neurons. One promising approach is a synaptogenesis-involving method, which offers an opportunity for synaptic signaling between these systems. Janus synapses, one type of synaptic interface utilizing synaptic cell adhesion molecules for biotic-abiotic interface construction, possess unique features that enable the determination of location, direction of signal flow, and types of neurotransmitters involved, promoting directional and multifaceted communication. Such unique synaptic interfaces can directly exchange signals to and from neurons, in a similar manner to that of natural chemical synapses. In this talk, I summarize developments to improve the interface between neurons and electrodes by targeting neurons or sub-neuronal regions including synapses. Furthermore, recent progress in electrochemical neurosensing and iontronics-based chemical delivery made by my group is introduced. It includes the first successful establishment of Janus synapses between primary dopaminergic (DA) neurons and abiotic substrates using a neuroligin-2 (NLG2)-mediated synapse-inducing method. NLG2 immobilized on gold-coated microspheres can induce synaptogenesis upon contact with spatially isolated DA axons. The induced DA Janus synapses exhibit stable synaptic activities comparable to that of native synapses over time, suggesting their suitability for application in neural interfaces. By calling for DA presynaptic organizations, the NLG2-immobilized abiotic substrate is a promising tool for on-site detection of synaptic dopamine release. References Cho, W.; Jung, M.; Yoon, S. -h.; Jeon, J.; Oh, M. -A.; Kim, J. Y.; Park, M.; Kang, C. M.; Chung, T. D., On-Site Formation of Functional Dopaminergic Presynaptic Terminals on Neuroligin-2 Modified Gold-Coated Microspheres, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2024, 16(3), 3082-3092.Cho, W.; Yoon, S. -h.; Chung, T. D., Streamlining the interface between electronics and neural systems for bidirectional electrochemical communication, Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 4463-4479.Han, S. H.; Kim, S. I.; Oh, M. -A.; Chung, T. D., Iontronic analog of synaptic plasticity: Hydrogel-based ionic diode with chemical precipitation and dissolution, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 120(1), e2211442120. Figure 1

Pedagogical Presence as a Mediator of Tertiary Students’ Unconscious Conflicts During Learning

This paper explores the notion of presence pedagogy in the private higher education sector, drawing on contributions from social constructivism and psychoanalysis, specifically the concept of affective containment. Higher education is a space that, by its nature, invokes feelings of defensiveness, uncertainty, weakness and anxiety in students, who arrive in the tertiary space carrying their own unconscious conflicts that interact with the external world. These unconscious processes culminate in behaviours and interactions that influence learning and relational dynamics with their educators. This theoretical paper presents an explanation of the unconscious, but observable processes that neoliberal students transition through in the learning process and offers a position that can usefully serve educators in negotiating and containing these unconscious processes. This paper offers the argument that presence pedagogy can be usefully employed as a method for the educator to perform the role of ‘container’ of these unconscious processes. Presence pedagogy is conceptualized as an educator’s capacity to be reassuring and attentive to their students and draws on relational practices such as an ethics of care to enact appropriate psychological and pedagogical care for the student in learning contexts. This paper proposes that presence pedagogy can usefully mediate students’ unconscious conflicts to settle into a productive place of learning, where the tensions between inner worlds and external demands are contained by the educator and adapted into meaningful learning experiences. By dovetailing an ethics of care with core constructivist tenets, educators can simultaneously hold the student, and the line, forging productive learning experiences while maintaining boundaries and professionalism. In so doing, the student is ‘contained’, and anxieties are mediated to facilitate a learning experience in which anxiety is tolerated and processed by both student and educator. This is not an easy task, nor without risks and limitations, but this paper offers imaginings of how a presence pedagogy might be enacted in a contact private tertiary environment to meaningfully engage with students’ unconscious conflicts in the learning space.