Patterns of cerebral activation during lexical and phonological reading in Portuguese

According to the concepts of cognitive neuropsychology, there are two principal routes of reading processing: a lexical route, in which global reading of words occurs and a phonological route, responsible for the conversion of the graphemes into their respective phonemes. In the present study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the patterns of cerebral activation in lexical and phonological reading by 13 healthy women with a formal educational level greater than 11 years. Participants were submitted to a silent reading task containing three types of stimuli: real words (irregular and foreign words), nonwords and illegitimate graphic stimuli. An increased number of activated voxels were identified by fMRI in the word reading (lexical processing) than in the nonword reading (phonological processing) task. In word reading, activation was greater than for nonwords in the following areas: superior, middle and inferior frontal gyri, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right cerebellum and the left precentral gyrus, as indicated by fMRI. In the reading of nonwords, the activation was predominant in the right cerebellum and in the left superior temporal gyrus. The results of the present study suggest the existence of differences in the patterns of cerebral activation during lexical and phonological reading, with greater involvement of the right hemisphere in reading words than nonwords.

Statistical analysis of event-related potential elicited by verb-complement merge in Brazilian Portuguese

An interesting fact about language cognition is that stimulation involving incongruence in the merge operation between verb and complement has often been related to a negative event-related potential (ERP) of augmented amplitude and latency of ca. 400 ms - the N400. Using an automatic ERP latency and amplitude estimator to facilitate the recognition of waves with a low signal-to-noise ratio, the objective of the present study was to study the N400 statistically in 24 volunteers. Stimulation consisted of 80 experimental sentences (40 congruous and 40 incongruous), generated in Brazilian Portuguese, involving two distinct local verb-argument combinations (nominal object and pronominal object series). For each volunteer, the EEG was simultaneously acquired at 20 derivations, topographically localized according to the 10-20 International System. A computerized routine for automatic N400-peak marking (based on the ascendant zero-cross of the first waveform derivative) was applied to the estimated individual ERP waveform for congruous and incongruous sentences in both series for all ERP topographic derivations. Peak-to-peak N400 amplitude was significantly augmented (P < 0.05; one-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test) due to incongruence in derivations F3, T3, C3, Cz, T5, P3, Pz, and P4 for nominal object series and in P3, Pz and P4 for pronominal object series. The results also indicated high inter-individual variability in ERP waveforms, suggesting that the usual procedure of grand averaging might not be considered a generally adequate approach. Hence, signal processing statistical techniques should be applied in neurolinguistic ERP studies allowing waveform analysis with low signal-to-noise ratio.

Understanding outlawry in medieval Iceland

Lectio praecursoria Helsingin yliopistossa 24.5.2014.

Sobre as origens do vocabulário político medieval

O fenômeno da incorporação do corpo lexical político aristotélico transliterado do grego ao contexto latino do século XIII nos remete a problemas sobre as presenças e ausências terminológicas, não somente na tradução da Política, feita por Guilherme de Moerbeke, e nos comentários de Alberto Magno e Tomás de Aquino ao texto latino de Aristóteles, mas também à possível reverberação desses vocábulos políticos moerbekianos em alguns leitores da Política, no século XIV. Não se trata apenas de verificação de quem usou ou não usou tais ou quais termos, nem mesmo da elaboração de juízos sobre esses usos, como que para rotular pensadores; antes, trata-se de tentar individuar, a partir dos usos terminológicos, o surgimento de um novo modo de pensar e compreender a esfera da vida humana que é a dimensão pública, ou melhor, política. Tentaremos compreender, neste artigo, especificamente como emerge, a partir dessa tradução latina da Política, um novo quadro conceitual, a saber: a esfera política. Constataremos que a tradução da Política de Moerbeke consolida um novo vocabulário e um novo quadro conceitual que será, doravante, um dos fundamentos do pensamento político.

Hermenêutica medieval: a compreensão espiritual de Joaquim de Fiore

O estudo trata a hermenêutica medieval sob o prisma da compreensão espiritual (intelectio spiritualis) de Joaquim de Fiore (1135-1202). Mostra que a noção de Trindade serve de base para retomar o método alegórico e o tipológico da tradição. Além disso, serve para propor o novo método por concórdia que, a nosso ver, culminará na maior inovação da leitura da história medieval. Entre os resultados, destacamos a continuidade imediata dessa hermenêutica com os franciscanos espirituais do século XIII e sua influência direta na cultura luso-brasileira. Avaliamos também os estudos que tentam encontrar em Joaquim a gênese da filosofia da história hegeliana. Por fim, analisamos sumariamente a proposta de Gianni Vattimo, que encontra o novo sentido do cristianismo no legado joaquimita.

A Destruktion heideggeriana da ontologia medieval em Die Grundprobleme Der Phänomenologie (§§ 10-12)

Em primeiro lugar, (1) examinarei a chamada Destruktion fenomenológica da ontologia medieval, componente básico do método a partir da história da ontologia. Nessa seção, coloco algumas questões sobre a apropriação da Idade Média com base na escolástica tardia, como se esta fosse o "cume" das reflexões precedentes! Em segundo lugar, (2) apresento a reflexão de próprio Heidegger sobre a ontologia medieval tal como se expõe no curso de semestre de verão de 1927 ("Os problemas fundamentais da fenomenologia"), ministrado na Universidade de Marburg. Igualmente nessa parte, faço algumas reflexões críticas sobre a leitura heideggeriana dos medievais, que se presta muito mais para conhecer o próprio modo de pensar de Heidegger do que os medievais em si mesmos, ou seja, pela leitura cursiva dos textos em seu contexto histórico e cultural: sem o élan espiritual, consubstancial aos escritos de Tomás de Aquino, por exemplo, a organização conceitual deste último não pareceria um sistema assaz grandioso e seco? Esta não terá sido a compreensão de Heidegger, fruto da separação metodológica feita entre mística medieval e filosofia escolástica desde o curso não proferido intitulado "Fundamentos filosóficos da Mística Medieval" (1918-1919)?

Seria o Sujeito uma Criação Medieval? Temas de Arqueologia Filosófica

O artigo visa analisar, em linhas gerais, a arqueologia do sujeito operada por Alain de Libera, o que será feito pela concentração no estudo de duas teses fundamentais: (a) Descartes chegou ao sujeito menos por reflexão e mais por refração, em seu debate com Hobbes e Regius, ao tentar escapar da redução do indivíduo à vida corporal e, portanto, à passividade; (b) Tomás de Aquino e Pedro de João Olivi teriam sido os responsáveis por dar certo acabamento a uma temática elaborada desde a Patrística, eminentemente por Agostinho de Hipona, que teria formulado um esquema compreensivo do eu como suporte e como agente.

Two leaves from a Medieval breviary (prayer-book), c.1350-1400

The actual scripture quotations begin with blue and gold illuminated letters. Towards the end of each passage, there is a small red “R” that marks the “Response”. At the conclusion of the Response, the next lesson is announced. There are three lessons on these leaves. The first leaf begins with the word “Requiem” with the initial letter illuminated. The third lesson begins with the illuminated letter “M” on the word “Manus”. This passage is from the Book of Job, Chapter 10, verses 8-11 which reads: Your hands have formed me and fashioned me; will you then turn and destroy me? Oh, remember that you fashioned me from clay. Will you then bring me down to dust again? Did you not pour me out as milk, and thicken me like cheese? With skin and flesh you clothed me, with bones and sinews knit me together.

Explorações educacionais (educational explorations) : schooling experiences of second-generation Portuguese Canadian students

This study explores the stories and experiences of second-generation Portuguese Canadian secondary school students in Southern Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this research was to understand the educational experiences of students, specifically the successes, challenges, and struggles that the participants faced within the education system. Questions were also asked about identity issues and how participants perceived their identities influencing their educational experiences. Six Portuguese Canadian students in grades 9 to 11 were interviewed twice. The interviews ranged from 45 minutes to 90 minutes in length. Data analysis of qualitative, open-ended interviews, research journals, field notes and curricular documents yielded understandings about the participants' experiences and challenges in the education system. Eight themes emerged from data that explored the realities of everyday life for second-generatiop Portuguese Canadian students. These themes include: influences of part-time work on schooling, parental involvement, the teacher is key, challenges and barriers, the importance of peers, Portuguese Canadian identity, lack of focus on identity in curricul:um content, and the dropout problem. Recommendations in this study include the need for more community-based programs to assist students. Furthermore, teachers are encouraged to utilize strategies and curriculum resources that engage learners and integrate their histories and identities. Educators are encouraged to question power dynamics both inside and outside the school system. There is also a need for further research with Portuguese Canadian students who are struggling in the education system as well as an examination of the number of hours that students work.

Early Education Foundation: Portuguese Canadian Mothers' Preferences and Choices

The purpose of this study was to explore Portuguese-Canadian mothers' preferences and choices regarding their children's early care and education. The findings revealed that Portuguese-Canadian mothers value early care and education and are conscious of their role in their children's lives. Regardless of the type of care setting, the participants' responses revealed that the caregiver's care, emotion, and responsiveness are most important. More than developing "savvy" children, we need to nourish "happy" children. The study's participants include 9 Portuguese Canadian mothers without any assumption of a hyphenated identity and who have moved away from their immigrant parents' script. They embraced the vision of their children's success and cultivated their vast potential. Their responses revealed that the family, culture, and traditions are important factors in their child's academic and social growth and played a critical role in establishing the foundations for learning. The research study findings showed that the field of early care and education is undergoing a paradigm shift and that other practices, ideologies, and theories are surfacing. This study aimed to help develop a new grounded theory that contributes to a better understanding of this arena. The present findings reveal important issues for further discussion and lay a theoretical and empirical framework for future research in early education and care.

Compendio de historia antigua y Medieval

UANL

La herencia medieval : economía, sociedad, politica

UANL

Standardized Latin and Medieval Economic Growth

Traditional explanations for Western Europe's demographic growth in the High Middle Ages are unable to explain the rise in per-capita income that accompanied observed population changes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that an innovation in information technology changed the optimal structure of contracts and raised the productivity of human capital. We present historical evidence for this thesis, offer a theoretical explanation based on transaction costs, and test the theory's predictions with data on urban demographic growth. We find that the information-technology hypothesis significantly increases the capacity of the neoclassical growth model to explain European economic expansion between 1000 and 1300.

Le «translateur» translaté : l’imaginaire et l’autorité d’un romancier médiéval à travers le cycle post-vulgate et son adaptation portugaise

La traduction portugaise de la version post-vulgate française de la Quête du Graal achevée vers la fin du XIIIe siècle et intitulée A Demanda do Santo Graal, offre un prisme intéressant pour saisir, en contexte et à travers les jeux de déplacements et de reconfiguration, l’imaginaire caractéristique du cycle Post-Vulgate, autrement difficilement accessible. La Demanda do Santo Graal permet de mieux comprendre l’imaginaire du roman français et d’accompagner son évolution en dehors de ses frontières linguistiques à une époque où le romancier n’est plus traducteur, mais devient lui-même une figure d’autorité. Ce travail consiste essentiellement à voir comment la Queste Post-Vulgate lue en parallèle avec la traduction/adaptation portugaise permet de comprendre l’évolution du roman vers la fin du Moyen Âge et la notion d’auteur en faisant la distinction entre le translateur, le créateur et le romancier dans le récit médiéval tout en faisant témoin de l’évolution de leur subjectivité littéraire du roman des origines à celui du Moyen Âge tardif.

Architecture at the service of ideology : William Morris, the Anglican Church and the destruction, restoration and protection of medieval architecture in victorian England

Résumé Cet ouvrage examine les fondements du mouvement de conservation architecturale moderne. Dans ce contexte, la création de la « Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings » par William Morris est considéré comme le point culminant d’un processus historique qui mena à l’apparition du mouvement. Sa genèse est présentée comme ayant été le résultat d’une confrontation entre deux visions utopiques du moyen-âge; celle de l’Église Anglicane et celle de William Morris. Un survol détaillé des origines, des résultats et des effets de la « Renaissance Gothique » ouvre tout grand sur les sources littéraires, idéologiques et religieuses qui y donnèrent sa force. Les grands programmes de restaurations qui ont vu le jour en Angleterre à l’ère victorienne sont examinés en relation avec l’Église Anglicane et caractérisés par les motivations idéologiques de celle-ci. Bien que ce memoire ne réussit pas à démontré de manière sans équivoque que la création du mouvement de conservation architectural moderne par Morris fut essentiellement en reaction au programme idéologique de l’Église Anglicane au dix-neuvième siècle, nous y retrouvons néanmoins une réévaluation des causes et de l’impact de la « Renaissance Gothique » qui, de manière significative, allaient à l’encontre des croyances et des principes les plus chers à Morris. Il existe une quantité admirable d’ouvrages examinant les travaux et l’impact de William Morris en littérature et en arts, ainsi que son activisme socialiste. Cependant, il serait juste de constater qu’en comparaison, la grande contribution qu’il apporta à la protection de l’architecture patrimoniale a certainement été négligée dans les publications à son sujet. Ce projet de recherche examine les éléments et les conditions qui ont motivé Morris à créer un mouvement qui encore aujourd’hui continue de croitre en importance et en influence.