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Elsevier

Elsevier Science

  • Mental Models in Discourse Processing and Reasoning

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 128
    • G. Rickheit + 1 more
    • English
    In this interdisciplinary discussion on mental models, researchers from various areas in cognitive science tackle the following questions: What is a mental model? What are the prospects and limitations in applying the mental model notion in cognitive science? How can the ideas on the nature of mental models and their mode of operation be empirically substantiated? The primary goal of the research group was to work out a definition of mental models that embraces the overall use of this construct in cognitive science as well as the more specific conceptions used in particular research domains such as cognitive linguistics. Theoretical claims about the properties of mental models were discussed and their tenability evaluated against the empirical evidence.The volume is divided into three parts. Fundamental aspects of mental models are presented in the first section, the following part contains contributions to the function of mental models in discourse processing, and finally problems of mental models in reasoning and problem solving are outlined.

  • The Primate Nervous System, Part III

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15
    • Floyd E. Bloom + 2 more
    • English
    This volume is the third and final part of the planned coverage of the neurochemical circuitry of the primate central nervous system. The five chapters included in this volume complement and integrate magnificently with the two prior volumes. Included in the volume are the following: a two-fold exposition on the human forebrain, comprised of a comprehensive overview of the entire human forebrain, and a specific focus on the basal forebrain (a region critical for a wide range of human problems ranging from substance abuse to Alzheimer's disease), a critical synthesis of the primate basal ganglia (a region under intense scrutiny for the organization of motor programs, and for their dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other malfunctions), the chemical and anatomic details of the primate hippocampal formation in extenso, and lastly, a review of the rapidly growing literature on the mesocortical projection of dopaminergic circuits onto the primate frontal cortex ( a system highly linked to higher order mental abstractions, as well as the dysfunctions of schizophrenia). Scholars will recognize that the laying out of these status reports on our still vastly incomplete examination of the primate brains is an opportunity for progress.

  • Composition, Deep Structure and Evolution of Continents

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 24
    • R.D. van der Hilst + 1 more
    • English
    The ensemble of manuscripts presented in this special volume captures the stimulating cross-disciplinary dialogue from the International Symposium on Deep Structure, Composition, and Evolution of Continents, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 15-17 October 1997. It will provide an update on recent research developments and serve as a starting point for research of the many outstanding issues.After its formation at mid-oceanic spreading centers, oceanic lithosphere cools, thickens, and subsides, until it subducts into the deep mantle beneath convergent margins. As a result of this continuous recycling process oceanic lithosphere is typically less than 200 million years old (the global average is about 80 Myr). A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary study of continents involves a wide range of length scales: tiny rock samples and diamond inclusions may yield isotope and trace element signatures diagnostic for the formation age and evolution of (parts of) cratons, while geophysical techniques (e.g., seismic and electromagnetic imaging) constrain variations of elastic and conductive properties over length scales ranging from several to many thousand kilometers. Integrating and reconciling this information is far from trivial and, as several papers in this volume document, the relationships between, for instance, formation age and tectonic behavior on the one hand and the seismic signature, heat flow, and petrology on the other may not be uniform but may vary both within as well as between cratons. These observations complicate attempts to determine the variations of one particular observable (e.g., heat flow, lithosphere thickness) as a function of another (e.g., crustal age) on the basis of global data compilations and tectonic regionalizations.Imp... conclusions of the work presented here are that (1) continental deformation, for instance shortening, is not restricted to the crust but also involves the lithospheric mantle; (2) the high wavespeed part of continental lithospheric mantle is probably thinner than inferred previously from vertically travelling body waves or form global surface-wave models; and (3) the seismic signature of ancient continents is more complex than expected from a uniform relationship with crustal age.

  • Biomathematics

    Mathematics of Biostructures and Biodynamics
    • 1st Edition
    • S. Andersson + 3 more
    • English
    This book presents new mathematics for the description of structure and dynamics in molecular and cellular biology. On an exponential scale it is possible to combine functions describing inner organisation, including finite periodicity, with functions for outside morphology into a complete definition of structure. This mathematics is particularly fruitful to apply at molecular and atomic distances. The structure descriptions can then be related to atomic and molecular forces and provide information on structural mechanisms. The calculations have been focussed on lipid membranes forming the surface layers of cell organelles. Calculated surfaces represent the mid-surface of the lipid bilayer. Membrane dynamics such as vesicle transport are described in this new language. Periodic membrane assemblies exhibit conformations based on the standing wave oscillations of the bilayer, considered to reflect the true dynamic nature of periodic membrane structures. As an illustration the structure of an endoplasmatic reticulum has been calculated. The transformation of such cell membrane assemblies into cubosomes seems to reflect a transition into vegetative states. The organisation of the lipid bilayer of nerve cells is analyzed, taking into account an earlier observed lipid bilayer phase transition associated with the depolarisation of the membrane. Evidence is given for a new structure of the alveolar surface, relating the mathematical surface defining the bilayer organisation to new experimental data. The surface layer is proposed to consist of a coherent phase, consisting of a lipid-protein bilayer curved according to a classical surface - the CLP surface. Without employing this new mathematics it would not be possible to give an analytical description of this structure and its deformation during the respiration cycle. In more general terms this mathematics is applied to the description of the structure and dynamic properties of motor proteins, cytoskeleton proteins, and RNA/DNA. On a macroscopic scale the motions of cilia, sperm and flagella are modelled. This mathematical description of biological structure and dynamics, biomathematics, also provides significant new information in order to understand the mechanisms governing shape of living organisms.

  • Handbook of Molecular-Genetic Techniques for Brain and Behavior Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 13
    • Wim E. Crusio + 1 more
    • English
    The book gives a broad overview of recombinant DNA techniques for the behavioral neuroscientist, with illustrative examples of applications. Species covered include rodents (mainly mice), Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and Danio rerio. Experimental techniques required to characterize the behavioral phenotypes of mutant animals is provided. Several aspects of novel molecular-genetic techniques are overviewed and possible research strategies are explained. The sections of the book start with general descriptions of techniques followed by illustrative examples.It is divided into six sections. Section 1, bioinformatics and genomics research. Section 2, top-down strategies, where the researcher starts with the phenotype and then analyzes the associated genes; bottom-up strategies, where the physiological chain leading to a phenotype is analyzed starting from the gene product. Section 3, transgenic approaches in rodents including overexpressing foreign genes and gene-targeting; systemic manipulation approaches directly targeting the central nervous system and methods used with invertebrates. Section 4, methods used to evaluate relevant behavioral phenotypes, including learning and aggression. Section 5, examples on molecular brain research in man. Section 6, ethical aspects of research in this field.

  • Ultrasensitive and Rapid Enzyme Immunoassay

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 27
    • E. Ishikawa
    • English
    Immunoassay techniques have become essential in various fields of pure and applied research. This volume of the well known Laboratory Techniques series will be of assistance to those who have plans or are making efforts to develop ultrasensitive enzyme immunoassays for antigens and antibodies. The volume describes factors limiting the sensitivity of noncompetitive solid phase enzyme immunoassays, methods to overcome difficulties limiting sensitivities, methods to perform ultrasensitive enzyme immunoassays as rapidly as possible, and protocols of enzyme labeling and enzyme assays as well as ultrasensitive enzyme immunoassays. Ultrasensitive and Rapid Enzyme Immunoassay, with its clear presentation and up-to-date information, will be essential to scientists in pharmaceutical companies and in applied research.

  • Small Fatigue Cracks

    Mechanics, Mechanisms and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • K.S. Ravichandran + 2 more
    • English
    This book contains the fully peer-reviewed papers presented at the Third Engineering Foundation Conference on Small Fatigue Cracks, held under the chairmanship of K.S. Ravichandran and Y. Murakami during December 6-11, 1998, at the Turtle Bay Hilton, Oahu, Hawaii. This book presents a state-of-the-art description of the mechanics, mechanisms and applications of small fatigue cracks by most of the world's leading experts in this field. Topics ranging from the mechanisms of crack initiation, small crack behavior in metallic, intermetallic, ceramic and composite materials, experimental measurement, mechanistic and theoretical models, to the role of small cracks in fretting fatigue and the application of small crack results to the aging aircraft and high-cycle fatigue problems, are covered.

  • Theoretical Foundations of Molecular Magnetism

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • Roman Boča
    • English
    Magnetochemistry is a highly interdisciplinary field that attracts the interest of chemists, physicists and material scientists. Although the general strategy of theoretical molecular magnetism has been in place for decades, its performance for extended systems of interacting magnetic units can be very complicated. Professor Boca's book treats the "mosaic" of the theoretical approaches currently used in the field. This book presents a review of the theoretical concepts of molecular magnetism. The first chapter of the book recapitulates the necessary mathematical background. An overview of macroscopic magnetic properties is then presented. Formulation of magnetic parameters and methods of their calculation are given, followed by a brief summary of magnetic behaviour. The core of the book deals with the temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility for mononuclear complexes, dimers, and exchange-coupled clusters.This book will be particularly useful for those scientists and students working in the field of molecular magnetism who need to refer to a complete and systematic treatment of the mathematics of magneto-chemical theory.

  • Catalyst Deactivation 1999

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 126
    • G.F. Froment + 1 more
    • English
    Studies in catalyst deactivation play a major role in the identification of the real catalytic system, in particular, the structure and texture of the solid, which is often in a metastable state, as it is operated in the industrial reactor. These studies also allow the identification of the experimental conditions which preserve this active and selective state. This is crucial for a real understanding of catalysts and catalysis. Another area of catalytic science concerns reactions kinetics, which, if properly determined, are of paramount importance in the elucidation of mechanisms. The behavior of the kinetics during aging and deactivation and an accurate modeling of the evolution of activity and selectivity are essential information for the process performance. These are just two typical examples, but quite generally, the science of catalyst deactivation is going to be more oriented to fundamental issues.

  • Disorders of Brain, Behavior, and Cognition: The Neurocomputational Perspective

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 121
    • J.A. Reggia + 2 more
    • English
    This book contains selected contributions of papers, many presented at the Second International Workshop on Neural Modeling of Brain Disorders, as well as a few additional papers on related topics, including a wide range of presentations describing computational models of neurological, neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders. It is a unique, comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of modeling cognitive and brain disorders, appealing to a multidisciplinary audience of clinicians, psychologists, neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, computer scientists, and other neural network researchers. The rest of the book is organized along four main themes, involving memory, neuropsychological, neurological and psychiatric disorders. In general, the cognitive disorders and these psychiatric diseases traditionally regarded as "functional" were modeled along functional lines, while those disorders traditionally viewed as "organic" neurological diseases generally drew more from knowledge of the underlying neurobiology and pathophysiology.

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