Reconsidering the Evolution of Nonlinguistic Communication: The Case of Laughter

Nonlinguistic communication is typically proposed to convey representational messages, implying that particular signals are associated with specific signaler emotions, intentions, or external referents. However, common signals produced by both nonhuman primates and humans may not exhibit such specificity, with human laughter for example showing significant diversity in both acoustic form and production context. We therefore outline an alternative to the representational approach, arguing that laughter and other nonlinguistic vocalizations are used to influence the affective states of listeners, thereby also affecting their behavior. In the case of laughter, we propose a primary function of accentuating or inducing positive affect in the perceiver in order to promote a more favorable stance toward the laugher. Two simple strategies are identified, namely producing laughter with acoustic features that have an immediate impact on listener arousal, and pairing these sounds with positive affect in the listener to create learned affective responses. Both depend on factors like the listener's current emotional state and past interactions with the vocalizer, with laughers predicted to adjust their sounds accordingly. This approach is used to explain findings from two experimental studies that examined the use of laughter in same-sex and different-sex dyads composed of either friends or strangers, and may be applicable to other forms of nonlinguistic communication.     

Human Salmonellosis: Estimation of Dose-Illness from Outbreak Data

The quantification of the relationship between the amount of microbial organisms ingested and a specific outcome such as infection, illness, or mortality is a key aspect of quantitative risk assessment. A main problem in determining such dose-response models is the availability of appropriate data. Human feeding trials have been criticized because only young healthy volunteers are selected to participate and low doses, as often occurring in real life, are typically not considered. Epidemiological outbreak data are considered to be more valuable, but are more subject to data uncertainty. In this article, we model the dose-illness relationship based on data of 20 Salmonella outbreaks, as discussed by the World Health Organization. In particular, we model the dose-illness relationship using generalized linear mixed models and fractional polynomials of dose. The fractional polynomial models are modified to satisfy the properties of different types of dose-illness models as proposed by Teunis et al . Within these models, differences in host susceptibility (susceptible versus normal population) are modeled as fixed effects whereas differences in serovar type and food matrix are modeled as random effects. In addition, two bootstrap procedures are presented. A first procedure accounts for stochastic variability whereas a second procedure accounts for both stochastic variability and data uncertainty. The analyses indicate that the susceptible population has a higher probability of illness at low dose levels when the combination pathogen-food matrix is extremely virulent and at high dose levels when the combination is less virulent. Furthermore, the analyses suggest that immunity exists in the normal population but not in the susceptible population.     

湖南省科技人力资源现状与使用分析

对湖南科技人力资源的分析 ;分为三个基本层次进行 :一是全省专业技术人员总量 ;二是科技活动人员情况 ;三是R&D人才资源。分别从人员的分布、结构、密度、质量以及人才使用效益等方面进行分析。     

人力资源开发与高校办学定位

教育是人力资源开发的主导形式,高校办学定位直接影响着人才培养的类型和规格。适应科学技术的发展和社会经济增长方式的转变,高校办学定位必须与时俱进,不断调整和革新。在当前和今后相当长一段时间,高师院校必须走“以师为本、综合发展”之路。     

浅谈性骚扰与妇女法的修改

在国际人权领域,性骚扰已被看作针对妇女的一种严重的性暴力.在国内,随着几起性骚扰案例在媒体上的大肆传播,人们对性骚扰已不再陌生.但是,迄今为止,中国法律对性骚扰的规定还是一片空白.因此,在我国已将"人权"写进宪法修正案的时代背景下,借着此次妇女法的修改,适时地引入性骚扰,有利于更好地维护妇女人权,也与妇女人权的时代潮流相适应.     

Progress and cumulation in the human sciences after the fall

What do we mean by progress and cumulation in the social and human sciences? Recent thinking in the philosophy and history of science has led to an abandonment of some versions of logical positivism and of verificationism that had a strong deductive and theory testing orientation. What is to replace them is less clear. This paper argues that progress and cumulation can be seen as a process of evaluation and retention within an epistemic community. Scholarly disciplines differ in their social structure and in their epistemic and normative commitments. Since sociology is a fragmented discipline, progress and cumulation differ within its multiple subdisciplines, which to varying extents represent epistemic communities. Brief sketches of progress (advance) and cumulation in several subdisciplines are offered.     

论企业人力资源激励的历史演进及其启示

激励是企业人力资源开发的中心环节。一部企业管理发展史,实质上就是一部企业人力资源激励的演进史。由于激励基础、激励重点和主要激励手段的不同,从而产生了不同的管理理论,使得企业人力资源激励呈现出不同的发展阶段。研究企业激励的演进历史及其发展规律,对于提高我国企业激励水平,增强国际竞争力具有重要的现实意义。     

人间佛教思想与儒家人学思想

近代以来,西学东渐,中国社会面临着巨大的冲击,历史不断发生变迁.在中国历史大转变,中国佛教日趋衰落的严重时刻,被誉为近世新佛教领袖的太虚大师(1890-1947)敏锐地觉察到中国社会的发展趋势和时代脉博,倡导"人间净土"说,并相应地提出了"人生佛教""人间佛教"的理念.此外,印顺(1906～)、赵朴初(1907～2000)等也对人间佛教提出了自己的看法.考察了不同学者的看法,并将人间佛教说与中国儒家人学思想进行比较,探寻其异同,这对于探讨人间佛教的建设,推进佛教适应现代社会的变革和发展是很有现实意义的.     

大学人文品质的解析与建构

大学被赋予神圣的人文形象 ,因为大学以研究高深学问、追求真理为主旨。这一认识所隐含的矛盾是夸大了真理的客观性 ,而不谈真理的意义问题 ,实质上是分裂了人与真理的关系。大学人文品质应该转向 ,应以培养人的自由个性作为大学人文品质的根本 ,大学教育是全面发展的教育、现实人的教育、面向日常生活世界的教育 ,转变观念、建立自由的空间、确立教育内容改革的原则、健全法制是弘扬大学人文理想的基本要求     

浅析我国当前的失业问题

我国当前的失业问题，其核心因素是供需双方的知识结构偏离，人力资源政策是解决失业问题的关键措施。