Preliminary Clarification Research Articles

Expropriated Minds: On Some Practical Problems of Generative AI, Beyond Our Cognitive Illusions

This paper discusses some societal implications of the most recent and publicly discussed application of advanced machine learning techniques: generative AI models, such as ChatGPT (text generation) and DALL-E (text-to-image generation). The aim is to shift attention away from conceptual disputes, e.g. regarding their level of intelligence and similarities/differences with human performance, to focus instead on practical problems, pertaining the impact that these technologies might have (and already have) on human societies. After a preliminary clarification of how generative AI works (Sect. 1), the paper discusses what kind of transparency ought to be required for such technologies and for the business model behind their commercial exploitation (Sect. 2), what is the role of user-generated data in determining their performance and how it should inform the redistribution of the resulting benefits (Sect. 3), the best way of integrating generative AI systems in the creative job market and how to properly negotiate their role in it (Sect. 4), and what kind of “cognitive extension” offered by these technologies we ought to embrace, and what type we should instead resist and monitor (Sect. 5). The last part of the paper summarizes the main conclusions of this analysis, also marking its distance from other, more apocalyptic approaches to the dangers of AI for human society.

Глобализация или деглобализация?

The article is devoted to the analysis of the content and the correct use of the basic categories of modern global studies: ‘globalization’, ‘deglobalization’ and other related terms. Using the methods of logical thinking, the author identifies significant methodological problems concerning the language and conceptual apparatus of science in general and global studies in particular. The inappropriateness of using one or another unsettled or debatable term in the scientific language without preliminary clarification of its content is shown. In particular, it is argued that adding a negative prefix to a concept introduced earlier into scientific circulation changes its semantic meaning to the opposite and no more. Specific examples show that the violation of this rule leads to terminological confusion, generates empty discussions and creates additional difficulties in scientific research.

Unraveling the protective mechanisms of Chuanfangyihao against acute lung injury: Insights from experimental validation.

Chuanfangyihao (CFYH) is an effective treatment for acute lung injury (ALI) in clinical practice; however, its underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of action of CFYH in ALI through experimental validation. First, a rat model of ALI was established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Next, the pathological changes in the lungs of the rats and the pathological damage were scored. The wet/dry weight ratios were measured, and ROS content was detected using flow cytometry. ELISA was used to examine IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18, and LDH levels. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Beclin-1 and NLRP3 expression. Western blotting was performed to analyze the expression of HMGB1, RAGE, TLR4, NF-κB p65, AMPK, p-AMPK, mTOR, p-mTOR, Beclin-1, LC3-II/I, p62, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-1, and GSDMD-NT. The mRNA levels of HMGB1, RAGE, AMPK, mTOR, and HIF-1α were determined using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. CFYH alleviated pulmonary edema and decreased the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, TLR4, NF-κB p65, HMGB1/RAGE, ROS, and HIF-1α. In addition, pretreatment with CFYH reversed ALI-induced programmed cell death. In conclusion, CFYH alleviates LPS-induced ALI, and these findings provide a preliminary clarification of the predominant mechanism of action of CFYH in ALI.

The Emergence of a Global Knowledge Network

Abstract Today we live in a global network of knowledge–as shown recently by the worldwide interactive research on Covid-19. Nevertheless, knowledge is distributed differently around the world and is perceived and valued differently in different cultures. This also applies to different strata within societies. The fact of a global world of knowledge and its horizontally and vertically different perception, interpretation and usage raises several problems. These can be explained above all by the sociogenesis of the global knowledge world and its fundamental lines and moments of development. Even a brief look at history shows that knowledge has been and is exchanged from earliest times till nowadays. This fact in turn raises questions and problems that we want to address systematically. What is “knowledge”? Sciences? Arts and crafts? When, by whom, in what form was knowledge disseminated? What is knowledge transfer? Exchange? Is it a mere transport, a deliberate exchange, or a kind of silent appropriation of foreign knowledge? In the following, some of these questions will be dealt with systematically. The historical material as well overarching question is the exchange of knowledge in Eurasia and here specifically the transfer and exchange of knowledge between Europe and China. After a preliminary clarification of terms and questions, the transfer of knowledge between Europe and China from the earliest times up to the Yuan Dynasty will be surveyed. Subsequently, the basic concepts and questions can be discussed and sharpened for further research. An outlook on the historical phase of a deliberate transfer and finally exchange of knowledge between China and Europe since the early modern period concludes the study. The aim of this work is not primarily to describe the historical course of individual exchange processes, but to clarify questions and problems for future empirical studies regarding the research landscape.

Transcriptomics and experimental validation-based approach to understand the effect and mechanism of Huangqin tang interfeience with colitis associated colorectal cancer

ContextChronic inflammation is usually caused by persistent irritation or uncontrolled infection and is characterized by ongoing tissue damage, injury-induced cellular proliferation and tissue repair. Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) isone of the classic examples of tumors that are tightly related to chronic inflammation. BackgroundTo investigated the key pharmacodynamic genes of HQT interventions in CAC by using transcriptome predictions and experiments.Materials & Methods: We used the azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate method to induce the mice CAC model. After preventive administration of HQT to the mice model, colonic tissues were taken for transcriptome sequencing and the transcriptome results were then experimentally validated using quantitative Real-Time PCR technique. ResultsTranscriptome sequencing revealed that the effect of the mechanism of HQT on the CAC mice model maybe related to its inhibition of accelerated epithelial mesenchymal transition and induction of pyroptosis. The levels of Matrix-metalloproteinases such as MMP-2, MMP-9 were significantly reduced in CAC mice treated with HQT; The mRNA expression for Krt17, App, CD44 and WNT pathway related sites such as Lrrc15, Cldn-1, Mpc1, Agr2 which are related factors affecting the epithelial mesenchymal transition were significantly reduced in CAC mice treated with HQT; the aberrant mRNA expression of inflammasome components that drive pyroptosis, including Nlrp3, Caspase-1, ASC, GSDMD and its mediated product IL-18 have been improved. ConclusionsOur findings provide preliminary clarification that inhibiting the progression of CAC by using HQT is effective, the mechanism of action may be relatedto the inhibition of epithelial mesenchymal transition and induction of pyroptosis during tumorigenesis.

Clarification of increased liver values in primary care - Findings from a series of studies from a general practitioner and specialist perspective

In primary care, elevated liver values are often an incidental finding. In addition to observing symptoms, it is crucial for an effective clarification which liver values are included as indicators and when patients are referred for further diagnostics. It also depends on regular cooperation between general practitioner and specialist care level. So far, there has been a lack of reliable studies for German-speaking countries on the status quo with regard to the clarification of (unclear) elevated liver values in primary care. This overview article compresses the balance of an exploratory series of studies, the aim of which was to take stock of the general practitioner's diagnostics of (unclear) elevated liver values. Starting points for optimizing GP care are derived from the results. Between 2017 and 2021, four written surveys of general practitioners and gastroenterological specialists were carried out in different federal states. The present study review discusses the overall findings in a condensed manner at a higher level, but also deals with specific findings. When it comes to clarifying elevated liver values, there are various challenges and problems in general practitioner care. For example, GPs use widely different liver-associated laboratory parameters (95% γ-GT, 65% AST, 63% ALT) that are bundled in different clusters. In the case of elevated liver values, the majority of general practitioners prefer to wait in a controlled manner (66%), but often make use of direct and early referrals to specialists in everyday practice due to diagnostic uncertainties (40%). When working with gastroenterological specialists, there are various interface problems, which, among other things, are associated with the GP's preliminary clarification and the time of referral. Both GPs and specialists see the introduction of a structured, evidence-based diagnostic algorithm as an important approach for improving early detection and better coordination between the levels of care (80% respective 85%). It makes sense to take measures that contribute to the professionalization and standardization of general practitioner diagnostics and better structure cooperation with gastroenterological specialists. These include, for example, a broader range of training and advanced training formats, the development of a validated diagnostic pathway or the permanent establishment of a liver value-associated blood test as part of the check-up. The development of a well-founded GP-based guideline for the detection and handling of elevated liver values also appears advisable.

Риторическое мастерство П. А. Столыпина

The article presents a rhetorical analysis of published speeches of P. A. Stolypin, an outstanding statesman of Russia of the beginning of the 20th century, which were presented in the State Duma and the State Council in 1906–1911. An analysis of the manifestation of the most significant concepts of “Russia”, “power”, “law”, “right”, “duty”, “justice”, which the speaker constantly refers to, made it possible to show the specific features of his personality: patriotism, faith in people, inspiration by Orthodoxy, the desire for change based on sanity and precise calculation, activity (frequent use of the pronoun I with the words must, ready, etc.), decisiveness, firmness in solving state problems, in the struggle to defend the interests of Russia, as he understood them, self-criticism, willingness to take responsibility for his actions. Speech facts that testify to the rhetorical skill of P. A. Stolypin are noted: his concern for the addressee, manifested in the desire to clearly, simply, eminently argue the idea (the strategy of preliminary clarification of the state of affairs), in the dialoguization of speeches; respect for opponents; a clear structure of speeches, a combination of different styles in them with a special role of high style; the use of various layers and semantic fields of lexical units, tropes, rhetorical devices (metaphors, epithets, repetitions, series of homogeneous members, gradation, rhetorical questions and appeals, precedent phenomena, etc.). Of particular importance is the metaphorical nature of speech: the metaphors of the building, illness and recovery are revealed. Rhetorical elocutionary means increase the impact on the listeners, their motivation to make the right decisions. P. A. Stolypin’s special attitude to the word can be seen, which, from his point of view, should be truthful, correspond to actions, thoughts and feelings.

Network pharmacology and experimental validation-based approach to understand the effect and mechanism of Taohong Siwu Decoction against ischemic stroke

Ethnopharmacological relevanceTaohong Siwu Decoction (THSWD) is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine that is mainly used for promoting blood circulation and alleviating blood stasis. THSWD is composed of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Carthamus tinctorius L., Ligusticum chuanxiong hort, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC, and Paeoniae Radix Alba. This prescription eliminates blood stasis, supplements blood, and dredges the body as an auxiliary treatment. Aim of the studyTo investigate the mechanistic effects of THSWD in the treatment of cerebral ischemia. Materials and methodswe downloaded 39 blood components for THSWD from the PharmMapper database for target prediction studies and identified the targets of cerebral ischemia. We identified the intersection between the components and targets, constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, carried out GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. a rat model of cerebral ischemia was established in rats, and the results of network pharmacology were verified by in vivo experiments. ResultsEstablished a component-target-pathway network, further transcriptomics analysis identified a total of 11 target genes (Plau, Fabp4, Mmp9, Mmp12, Cfd, Lcn2, Trem1, Lgals3, Hmox1, Selp and Slc6a4), a total of seven pathways (focal adhesion, complement and coagulation cascades, Staphylococcus aureus infection, malaria, transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway), because both targets genes and the complement and coagulation cascade signaling pathways mediate inflammatory responses, the signaling pathways associated with the complement and coagulation cascades were selected for experimental verification. We detected inflammatory factors and several key proteins in the complement and coagulation cascade signaling pathway (C1qb, C1qc, C3ar1, C5ar1, and Cfd). Analysis showed that THSWD can reduce the release of inflammatory factors and inhibit activation of the complement signaling pathways, thereby protecting against ischemic stroke disease. ConclusionsOur findings provide preliminary clarification of the predominant mechanism of action of THSWD when used to treat ischemic stroke.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ СИСТЕМЫ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ И УПРАВЛЕНИЯ НАУЧНО-ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНО- ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИМ КОМПЛЕКСОМ РОССИИ

The original concept of the formation of an innovative system of organization and management of the scientific, educational and technological complex of Russia is presented. The set of practical recommendations for the formation of this system, presented in the article, is based on preliminary clarification of both the characteristic specifics of the labor process in science, education, design, and the chains of interrelations-interactions between the relevant types of labor activity. It is recommended to build the desired system on the basis of an institution-a mechanism of public-private and public partnership. A package of structural order formulas has been developed that reveal the nature of the functioning of the scientific, educational and technological complex of Russia and the ways of its reform.

Early recognition or screening of dementia in general practice

Early recognition or screening of dementia in general practice Abstract. General practitioners play a key role in timely dementia diagnosis. In view that there are currently no drugs to prevent the progression of dementia or are effective in patients with mild cognitive impairment, a general screening of older people to recognize pre-symptomatic stages of dementia is not recommended. Crucial for a timely diagnosis is the GP's perception of warning signs, so-called "red flags". If the patients, family members, authorities or even the GP notice even discreet signs of a possible early dementia, a neuropsychological and medical evaluation should be initiated. Personal history, history by informant, a physical examination, supplemented by a GP's psychiatric evaluation and ideally the careful assessment with the MoCA form the basis of a preliminary clarification in general practice. If dementia is suspected, this clarification should be supplemented by an in-depth laboratory examination and, if applicable, neuroimaging before the patient is referred, depending on the findings, to a memory clinic or a consultant specialist to confirm the diagnosis and if appropriate initiate pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.

The resource-saving technology to restore the accumulation ability of tailing ponds

The accumulating capacity of tailing ponds by technology infusion of pulp preliminary clarification in the alluvium charts with its subsequent thickening and storage in the form of a highly concentrated pulp at the bottom of the pond is proposed by authors in the work. For the first time, the time dependence of filling a temporary pond on the ratio of the initial and condensed slurry concentrations for such technologies is obtained. The formula for calculating the degree of condensation is proposed. It provides the parameters selection and justification of equipment for removing water from a temporary pond as the map is filled with the accumulating capacity restoration of tailing ponds. The calculation results for the proposed dependencies allow us to establish: the necessary values of the thickening degree of the hydromixture, the possible intervals of the change in the pulp flow before and after thickening, as well as the volume of water taken from the temporary pond, depending on the concentration of the slurry entering the pond from the alluvium maps, its volumetric flow rate , geometric parameters of the technology for waste storage and the operation duration of a temporary pond.

The structure of forensic characteristics of murders committed by convicts in prisons

In order to keep and strengthen law and order in prisons it is very important to have both the final results of investigating crimes committed by convicts, and the results of certain procedural actions that ensure the timeliness and validity of criminal proceedings, the rapid establishment of a perpetrator by the help of evidence, to take necessary measures for his isolation from other convicts, the urgency of identifying and eliminating the causes and conditions that contributed to the commission of a crime. Investigation of a crime in accordance with the above mentioned requirements allows completely, comprehensively and objectively to establish the circumstances, which are subject to proving within criminal proceedings. Preliminary clarification of such circumstances is a necessary precondition for proper hearing the case by the court and the appointment of legal and substantiated criminal penalties for guilty party. This allows to achieve the objectives of general and special crime prevention by persons held in prisons in the most effective method.
 The author of the article has analyzed the practice of pre-trial investigation agencies and scientific views regarding the establishment and disclosure of the structure of the elements of forensic characteristic of murders committed by convicts in prisons. The notion of the structure as a system of elements of forensic characteristic has been defined and solved. The author of the dissertation has analyzed scientific thoughts, which reveal the notion of forensic characteristic, as well as its elements and defines the specific elements of forensic characteristic of murders committed by convicts in prisons.
 In the author’s opinion, the elements of forensic characteristic of murders committed by convicts in prisons include the following: a) offender’s personality and his behavior towards the commission of a crime and after; b) place, time and circumstances of committing a crime; c) the method of committing a crime; d) the conditions for the protection of the object; e) victim’s personality; f) method of withholding a crime.
 The study allowed to identify a number of issues, the solution of which may assist to improve the procedures for detecting and investigating criminal offenses related to murders committed by convicts in prisons.

Тезаурусная сфера и политический аудит

<p>Статья построена на применении тезаурусного подхода к политическому аудиту как одной из технологий избирательной кампании. Политический процесс нуждается в предварительном прояснении источников его разнообразия и субъектной ориентированности электората. Политический аудит раскрывает намерения борьбы за власть различных участников избирательной кампании и предполагает на уровне технологии учет субъективных намерений и ожиданий его участников, в чем значительную роль могут сыграть тезаурусный подход и применение в этих целях концепции тезаурусной сферы.</p><p> </p>

THE BUSINESS MODEL AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INNOVATION POLICY (ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN CONCEPTS)

Nowadays, the development of an effective innovation policy is one of the priority issues of the socioeconomic development of Russia and many other countries. However, despite the efforts made, not all of them succeeded in its solution. In Russia, like in a number of other states, the expert community continue to search or effective ways to influence microeconomic entities and, above all, businesses that would yield an adequate response. Therefore, any attempt to reveal structures which, when affected, would lead to the increase in the innovative activity of commercial organizations, are not only of theoretical but also of great practical interest. The paper analyzes proposals of foreign authors on the solution of this problem. The foreign approaches under study are focused on the recognition of the business model as a special component of commercial organizations. Its specifics should be taken into account in development and implementation of the state innovation policy in relation to business. As part of a general critical analysis of the approaches, the author summarized and systematized the existing views on the contents of business models, their types and relationships with innovations in organizations. At present, there is no common understanding in the literature that the choice of particular types of business models determining different sources of innovative activity in response to the corresponding state policy requires a prudent attitude and preliminary clarification of a number of additional conditions. The most significant of these include the type of a business model, the stability of its reproduction and position in the industry markets. The conclusions made in the paper require that new important areas of theoretical research into the domestic economy should be developed. They should be directed towards the determination of business model types in different economic sectors, their stability and development of a corresponding state innovation course with respect to them. Along with above, these conclusions lay the foundations for practical efforts to implement innovative strategies developed for enterprizes with different types of business models.

Moral courage in nursing: A concept analysis.

Nursing as an ethical practice requires courage to be moral, taking tough stands for what is right, and living by one's moral values. Nurses need moral courage in all areas and at all levels of nursing. Along with new interest in virtue ethics in healthcare, interest in moral courage as a virtue and a valued element of human morality has increased. Nevertheless, what the concept of moral courage means in nursing contexts remains ambiguous. This article is an analysis of the concept of moral courage in nursing. Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis provided the framework to conduct the analysis. The literature search was carried out in September 2015 in six databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and The Philosopher's Index. The following key words were used: "moral" OR "ethical" AND "courage" OR "strength" AND "nurs*" with no time limit. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 studies were included in the final analysis. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted according to good scientific guidelines. Seven core attributes of moral courage were identified: true presence, moral integrity, responsibility, honesty, advocacy, commitment and perseverance, and personal risk. Antecedents were ethical sensitivity, conscience, and experience. Consequences included personal and professional development and empowerment. This preliminary clarification warrants further exploring through theoretical and philosophical literature, expert opinions, and empirical research to gain validity and reliability for its application in nursing practice.

AidōsandDikēin International Humanitarian Law: Is IHL a Legal or a Moral System?

Violence arms itself with the inventions of Art and Science in order to contend against violence. Self-imposed restrictions, almost imperceptible and hardly worth mentioning, termed usages of International Law, accompany it without essentially impairing its power.-Clausewitz, 1832The rules of international law must be followed even if it results in the loss of a battle or even a war.-Nuremberg tribunal, Hostages Case1. INTRODUCTIONThe above quotations present two contradicting but prevailing concepts of the binding force and importance of international humanitarian law (abbreviated as IHL and also known as 'the laws of war' or 'the laws of armed conflicts').1 As these concepts are rooted in polar moral viewpoints regarding the conduct of war, the controversy they demonstrate suggests that even though IHL is, strictly speaking, a branch of international law serving as the body of laws governing the conduct of armed conflicts, it functions also, and perhaps to a greater extent, as a moral system (either followed or rejected) for the armies involved in armed conflicts. This is, in a nutshell, the argument I pursue in this article.Before delving into the argument, I will clarify four general points regarding the scope of the article and its core concepts. First, the article analyzes the moral (ethical) and the legal characteristics of the IHL system. Ethics, in general, is known to refer to the reflective general and core Socratic question, How should one live? However, it also has some narrower expressions that are perhaps better grasped by the term ?morality', whose Latin roots emphasize more the aspect of social expectation. In this article I will refer to this narrower sense of morality and will discuss the characteristics of a specific moral system, that is, IHL, and how it should guide the combatant's behavior.I discuss specifically IHL and not public international law in general. As a consequence, I avoid the question (which is beyond the scope of this article) of whether public international law is considered a legal system3 and ask whether IHL's essence suggests it should be regarded as a legal system.The term a legal system' will also be defined narrowly, concentrating only on the criminal legal system. This is because the nature of IHL in the legal sense has a stronger resemblance to criminal law than to any other legal system. Like criminal law, IHL provides for rules directing human behavior and does not (like contract law, for example) provide facilities for the realization of wishes and choices for the making of claims or asserting rights.4 In addition, some of the provisions in IHL instruments, like criminal law, are subject to criminal sanctions. For example, the violations of some of the articles of the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War (1949) (GC), referred to as grave breaches, require criminal prosecution, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) also criminalizes certain violations of IHL.The last preliminary clarification regards my choice of the name ?IHL' to refer to the branch of law in international law that regulates the conduct of belligerents in armed conflicts, rather than using its other definitions, such as ?the laws of war' or ?the laws of armed conflicts.' Describing this law as ?humanitarian' reveals something about its nature, its major concerns, and even its moral position. The discussion in the article of the historical development of this branch of law and of the circumstances under which it received its name will serve to support my conclusion that IHL more closely resembles a moral system-in which ?is' is not severed completely from ?ought'-than it does a legal system.I open my argument, in the second section below, by discussing the similarities and the differences between legal systems and moral systems. In the third section, I apply my conclusions from this discussion to IHL in order to decide whether it is a legal system, a moral system, or both. …

Effects of wort clarifying by using carrageenan on diatomaceous earth dosage for beer filtration

Poreda A., Zdaniewicz M., Sterczynska M., Jakubowski M., Puchalski C. (2015): Effects of wort clarifying by using carrageenan on diatomaceous earth dosage for beer filtration. Czech J. Food Sci., 33: 392–397. Diatomaceous earth makes a great contribution to the amount of brewing waste. In this work, attempts were made to reduce the dosage of diatomaceous earth used during beer filtration, via the application of carrageenan at the stage of wort boiling. Carrageenan was added to the boiling wort (50 mg/l) and, after fermentation, the beer was filtered using different doses of diatomaceous earth (0.05–0.40 g/l). The filtration performance of beers obtained from car rageenan-pretreated wort was compared with the filtration of reference beer. It was found that beer produced from wort treated with carrageenan, had a significantly lower haze before filtration compared to the reference beer (other quality parameters showed no significant differences). The reference beer had a higher haze after filtration with 0.40 g/l of diatomaceous earth than the carrageenan pre-clarified beer after filtration with 0.05 g/l. It was concluded that the use of preliminary clarification of wort with carrageenan allows for a significant reduction of the diatomaceous earth application while maintaining high clarity of beer.

Confusions about race: A new installment

In his criticism of my paper on the concept of race (Sesardic, 2010), Adam Hochman raises many issues that deserve further clarification. First, I will comment on Hochman’s claim that I attack a straw man version of racial constructionism. Second, I will try to correct what I see as a distorted historical picture of the debate between racial naturalists and racial constructionist s. Third, I will point out the main weaknesses in Hochman’s own defense of constructioni sm about race. And fourth, I will briefly comment on why I think that Hochman unjustifiably dismisses one of the potential sources of racial differentiation that were suggested in my paper. Before I start, though, a preliminary clarification is in order. Hochman kindly calls my article ‘‘one of the strongest defenses of racial naturalism in recent times’’, which might suggest to the reader that my goal was to offer a full-fledged biologica l explication of the concept of race. But in fact my ambition was more limited. As I explained:

Vorhersagefehler und Gehirnverletzungen. Zwei-Faktoren-Theorien über Wahnvorstellungen

Abstract This paper explores the two-factor theoretical model currently widely used to provide an explanatory analysis of the delusions that regularly accompany neurological disease or damage. The model hypothesizes a combination of an experiential factor – a strange or untoward experience – and a cognitive factor, such as an impairment of reasoning. The two-factor model has been devised for monothematic delusions that are usually manifested in a single, implausible idea. These have to be distinguished from the more elaborated, polythematic delusions that are found in psychiatry. Psychiatric delusions exceed neurological ones in frequency and, often, semantic complexity. This text offers a preliminary clarification of underlying assumptions about the breadth, terminology and presuppositions of two-factor theorizing, exploring its potential application to psychiatric delusions.

The Laosicheng Site in Yongshun County, Hunan

AbstractSince 1995, four terms of survey and excavation have been conducted on the Laosicheng Site in Yongshun County, Hunan Province. It resulted in the preliminary clarification of the distribution of the functional areas within the city. The palace and government office areas were in the center of the city, around which were a residential area, a