What do category-specific semantic deficits tell us about the representation of lexical concepts?

A reassessment of category-specific semantic deficits in light of their contribution to a theory of the representation of lexical concepts is proposed. Two theories are examined: one, held by the majority of researchers in the field, claims that concepts are represented by sets of features; another, in contrast, claims that concepts are atomic representations. An analysis of category-specific semantic deficits in terms of inferential relations (of the meaning-postulates type) between atomic concepts is elaborated. It is argued that this theory can better account for the pattern of performance exhibited by patients with semantic deficits.

Ambiguous novel compounds and models of morphological parsing.

This paper reports on two experiments that investigated the activation of morphemes in English novel compounds. All experiments employed stimuli that we have called "ambiguous novel compounds." These words (e.g., clamprod) have two interpretable parses (e.g., clam + prod or clamp + rod) and thus offer an opportunity to investigate which parses are preferred, whether both possible parses are computed, and whether parsing procedures "divide" words into their morphological constituents or "extract" constituent representations. The results suggest that morphological parsing does not simply divide a word into its constituents, but rather generates multiple representations that are subsequently evaluated.

[Physical disabilities in Hansen's disease at the time of diagnosis. I. Disability evaluation]. / Incapacidades físicas em hanseníase no momento do diagnóstico. I--Avaliação das incapacidades.

The evaluation of the physical disabilities at the moment of the hanseniasis diagnosis was carried out through the clinical and epidemiological forms of the 8,915 cases recorded in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1981 to 1983. The records of the physical disabilities were studied by three different methods: the disabilities at their highest grade, the disabilities' grade index achieved from the arithmetic mean of the added values of the different disability grades, and the absolute disabilities frequency. The study suggested that the maximum grade was the best evaluation method of the physical disabilities at the moment of the diagnosis, being an important indicator for the evaluation of prevention efforts and of the hanseniasis control.

[Stable solution of fuchsin--a new method for preparation of Ziehl-Neelsen staining]. / Solução estável de fucsina--novo método de preparação para coloração de Ziehl-Neelsen.

The fuchsin salts currently available in Latin American market have shown some instability when in solution, according to the classic Ziehl-Neelsen method, resulting in a total precipitation of the salt. The authors indicate a new technique for the preparation of this solution, in order to minimize the action of interfering factors responsible for the precipitation, obtaining thus a greater solubility of the salt, as well as the solution stability. The method effectiveness is reinforced by the utilization of a smaller amount of the salt and the attainment of a larger storage period for the solution.

[Modification of the basic stain of the Ziehl-Neelsen technic in the identification of Mycobacterium leprae]. / Modificação da coloração de fundo da técnica de Ziehl-Neelsen na identificação do Mycobacterium leprae.

Authors analyse the counterstain with methylene blue solution in the usual Ziehl-Neelsen method. Considerations are made on the characteristics of the dye substance. A technique alteration is proposed: a "concomitant alkalization" of the classic aqueous methylene blue solution, by adding some drops of sodium hydroxide solution, 1:500, on the slide at the moment of the staining. By this technique it was observed: a) a larger validity period of the solution; b) an absence of precipitate in the slides; c) an easier visualization of the substrate; d) a larger contrast among the substrate and the bacilli.