Recursive Processing of Nested Structures in Monkeys? Two alternative accounts

Ferrigno et al. [2020] introduced an ingenious task to investigate recursion in human and non-human primates. American adults, Tsimane adults, and 3-5 year-old children successfully performed the task. Macaque monkeys required additional training, but two out of three eventually showed good generalization and scored above many Tsimane and child participants. Moreover, when tested on sequences composed of new bracket signs, the monkeys still showed good performance. The authors thus concluded that recursive nesting is not unique to humans. Here, we dispute the claim by showing that at least two alternative interpretations remain tenable. We first examine this conclusion in light of recent findings from modern artificial recurrent neural networks (RNNs), regarding how these networks encode sequences. We show that although RNNs, like monkeys, succeed on demanding generalization tasks as in Ferrigno et al., the underlying neural mechanisms are not recursive. Moreover, we show that when the networks are tested on sequences with deeper center-embedded structures compared to training, the networks fail to generalize. We then discuss an additional interpretation of the results in light of a simple model of sequence memory.

Visualization and Perception of Data Gaps in the Context of Citizen Science Projects

Citizen Science initiatives often collect the data in an unsystematic way and dependent on the voluntary participation of interested citizens. The visualization of such data must present this incompleteness in a way that is understandable and comprehensible even to scientific laypersons if the correct conclusions are to be drawn. Using the project “Experiencing Biodiversity” as an example, this article shows how these requirements can be taken into account in the development of an online portal. Thereby, we discuss how data gaps can be pointed out by means of maps in order to be able to better interpret the significance of crowd-based data. We use empirical user studies to show the extent to which this was successful in the “Experiencing Biodiversity” project and the role of additional interpretation aids. Finally, we discuss how the findings of this project could be transferred to other use cases.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF STUDYING CROSS-CULTURAL TEXTS IN CLASSES OF UKRAINIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The urgency of the problem is to study the Ukrainian language in a foreign language environment based on cross-cultural texts that help students adapt to the country of residence and be acquainted with its realities. The objective of the study is to emphasize the need for selecting texts and didactic materials with consideration of feasibility and practical application of a particular information and the development of communicative competence; to prove the expediency of diversification of tasks and examples as one of the best ways of explaining foreign communicators this or that phenomenon, depending on a situation; to share the experience of teaching the Ukrainian language among non-communicators. A detailed analysis of current research and publications is conducted. The focus is on communicative, personal-oriented, cultural, and level methods, on the importance of visualization, pre-text and post-text exercises, various questions, descriptive interpretation of rarely used vocabulary, extended vocabulary, etc. Research methods used: descriptive, comparative, empirical approaches. The main task in the process of learning a foreign language is highlighted, namely an understanding the concept in context: there are certain meanings in a foreign language for which there are no literal equivalents in the native language, for example, phraseological units. Formulation of post-text questions, paraphrasing the text parts, additional interpretation, comparative analysis – this is an opportunity to encourage students to talk, activate critical thinking, and help them understand Ukraine, Ukrainian realities and Ukrainians. However, the texts should be updated in accordance with the communicative situation, emphasizing the phrases necessary in everyday life. The teacher’s task is to develop students as well-educated personalities, so it is advisable to ask a variety of questions during the discussion, which help not only assess students and find out how well they understand the material, but also promote the development of speech. Thus, the teacher's challenge is to choose carefully the content of texts in order to adapt the foreign students to the language environment, which would promote Ukraine in the world, contribute to the formation of linguistic knowledge about Ukraine.

The role of the principles of international law in maintaining of the effectiveness of international law

The paper is devoted to finding of the meaning of the principles of international law in the system of international law standards. It is true that the principles of international law give a certain direction both to the systems of international law standards and international law relations as well as to the formation of the law practice. They are justifiably considered as the unique law standards. By applying socio-axiological approach, that complies social and axiological methodology (with the dominance of the former) to international law, the author consider principles of international law as standards that channel the activity of the subjects of international law relations towards the major law values that lay the ground for the international law order. The paper carries out the analysis of the principles of international law. The author come to the conclusion that the principles of international law, on one hand, make the international law system more flexible and, on the other hand, let it operate effectively enough even under conditions of law vacuum. It is ironic, that, from one hand, the principles, that constitute general and rather abstract requirements stipulating the behavior of the subjects of international law relations, are considered as rather flexible standards that require additional interpretation according to each individual case, and, from the other hand, these principles tightly link the behavior with the system of core values, with “the axis” of values of international law, with international law as the system of values. The authors consider these standards or principles as the most “organic” for international law as a unique system of law, ensuring its effectiveness, which is guaranteed by a certain level of flexibility, under the condition that it depends on basic law values

Solvent influence on the crystal packing of 6-aminothiocytosine

The crystal structures of 6-aminothiocytosine (systematic name: 4,6-diamino-1,2-dihydropyrimidine-2-thione, DAPMT, C4H6N4S), its hemihydrate (0.5H2O) and its dimethylformamide (DMF, C3H7NO) monosolvate were compared, and the influence of the type of solvent on the supramolecular motifs was analysed. In all three crystal structures, there are two symmetry-independent molecules (A and B), and these molecules are connected by three relatively short and directional hydrogen bonds to form chains of alternating A and B molecules. A further organization of these chains is dependent on the nature of the solvent molecule. In the unsolvated form, two orientations of the neighbouring chains are observed, and similar motifs – but only one per structure – can be observed in the solvated structures. These two different motifs can be connected by two different kinds of contacts, i.e. either π–π (hemihydrate) or staple-supported S...S (DMF). In the crystal structures, the O atoms of the solvent molecules are double acceptors of the same type of hydrogen bonds and bind the chains of DAPMT molecules into different motifs (dimeric or infinite chains). A Hirshfeld fingerprint analysis was used for visualization and additional interpretation of these results.

From an element to a composition: Reconstruction of a vault of terracotta tubes from Timacum Minus, Serbia

The renewal of the archaeological excavations of Timacum Minus in 2019 initiated extensive analyses and an additional interpretation of the results of previous excavations of its buildings. One of the buildings outside the fortification has attracted special attention, because of both its constructive solutions and its dimensions. Although the archaeological research of ?the building with a hypocaust? has never been completed, there are enough discovered segments that indicate the applied building techniques and constructions. In addition to under-floor and wall heating systems, this building had vaults built of terracotta tubes. The rarely discovered and insufficiently documented examples of this type of vaulted structure in Roman architecture in south-eastern Europe necessitate a deeper analysis of their remains in Timacum Minus, with the aim of obtaining relevant information important not only for the reconstruction of the construction process and appearance of ?the building with a hypocaust?, but also for future architectural analyses of Roman buildings in the territory of Serbia and in the surrounding region.

EXPLORING SMART CITY RESEARCH FROM INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES

Research in the smart city domain is characterised by distinct multidisciplinarity. The reason for this is the broadness of the domain, classified into six key categories: smart governance, smart people, smart living, smart mobility, smart economy, and smart environment, all focal points of research in separate scientific fields. Also, many researchers argue about the best approach and steps in the development of smart cities highlighting different technological, economic, or sociological aspects of research. This paper aims to explore and clarify the differences in smart city research from two different perspectives - information systems and management. Abstracts from almost 5.000 papers from the WoS database and more than 7.000 papers from the Scopus database were downloaded and analysed. Publications categorised into two perspectives were then analysed descriptively, including data about the number of papers, year of publication, and country of publishing. Furthermore, automated text mining procedure was performed for additional interpretation of attributes and occurrences from the two observed perspectives. The use of six smart city categories as keywords within each set was also analysed and visualised. The results indicate clear differences in both research approaches and research subjects between the two perspectives.

Agon literacki w świetle rycerskiego modelu kultury

This essay – actually a scientific article included in the frame composition – is devoted to the innovative interpretation of literary agon in terms of the knight ethos on the background of Harold Bloom’s “anxiety of influence”, additionally enriched with references to Aeschylus’ and Eurypide’s “duel” in the Frogs by Aristophanes. On theoretical and methodological ground, the main research path is associated with an additional interpretation of Harold Bloom’s idea of intervals.

Individual low-energy E1 toroidal and compression states in light nuclei: deformation effect, spectroscopy and interpretation

The existence of individual low-energy E1 toroidal and compression states (TS and CS) in 24Mg was predicted recently in the framework of quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) model with Skyrme forces. It was shown that the strong axial deformation of 24Mg is crucial to downshift the toroidal strength to the low-energy region and thus make the TS the lowest E1(K=1) dipole state. In this study, we explain this result by simple mean-field arguments. Comparing TS in two strongly axial nuclei, 24Mg and 20Ne, we show that the lowest TS is not a universal phenomenon but rather a peculiarity of 24Mg. The spectroscopy of TS and CS is analyzed and some additional interpretation of these states is suggested.