A large variety of periodic tables of the chemical elements have been proposed. It was Mendeleev who proposed a periodic table based on the extensive periodic law and predicted a number of unknown elements at that time. The periodic table currently used worldwide is of a long form pioneered by Werner in 1905. As the first topic, we describe the work of Pfeiffer, who refined Werner’s work and rearranged the rare-earth elements in a separate table below the main table for (...) convenience. Today’s widely used periodic table essentially inherits Pfeiffer’s arrangements. Although long-form tables more precisely represent electron orbitals around a nucleus, they lose some of the features of Mendeleev’s short-form table to express similarities of chemical properties of elements when forming compounds. As the second topic, we compare various three-dimensional helical periodic tables that resolve some of the shortcomings of the long-form periodic tables in this respect. In particular, we explain how the 3D periodic table “Elementouch”, which combines the s- and p-blocks into one tube, can recover features of Mendeleev’s periodic law. Finally we introduce a topic on the recently proposed nuclear periodic table based on the proton magic numbers. Here, the nuclear shell structure leads to a new arrangement of the elements with the proton magic-number nuclei treated like noble-gas atoms. We show that the resulting alignments of the elements in both the atomic and nuclear periodic tables are common over about two thirds of the tables because of a fortuitous coincidence in their magic numbers. (shrink)

This is the second edition of an important introduction to Leibniz's philosophy of logic and language first published in 1972. It takes issue with several traditional interpretations of Leibniz (by Russell amongst others) while revealing how Leibniz's thought is related to issues of great interest in current logical theory. For this new edition, the author has added new chapters on infinitesimals and conditionals as well as taking account of reviews of the first edition.

Any interesting philosopher’s thoughts contain many prima facie mutually contradicting ideas. Especially if a thinker philosophizes intensely on an extremely wide area of enquiry over a long period, as is the case with Leibniz, advancing many views on each problem, often shifting his position, especially in the context of exchanges of opinions in letters, developing his views without necessarily tying up loose ends, and if in addition the thinker only publishes a minute portion of what he has written, it would (...) be strange, even grotesque, if his writings did not contain conflicting and contradictory strands. What is philosophically interesting, is not so much tracing the exact time of the changes, worthy and difficult as the detective work of historical scholarship involved may be, but realising, through such investigation, the depth and multiple facets of the issue that troubled the philosopher and led him to assert or hold on to those contradictory pairs or groups of ideas. We are sometimes made to realize that the issues throw light on problems that still puzzle us today. (shrink)

Theories of understanding and of language use cannot be detached from theories of truth and reference as many have recently attempted to say. Wittgenstein's early picture theory and his theory of reference {Bedeutung) is part and parcel of his view on understanding meaningful sentences {Sätze), and the use of expressions. His later theory of meaning as use of expressions is inseparable from his view on what kind of objects these expressions refer to. As logical analysis is a quest for definiteness (...) of sense and is not reductionism, not all objects of the Tractatus are of one kind. Singular propositions have no privileged role in linking language to the world. Understanding propositions with proper names or with demonstratives imply understanding of general propositions. This does not entail a definite description view of the sense of proper names. It does suggest that demonstrative pronouns are often not used anaphorically and never purely ostensively. (shrink)

The nucleolus is a region of the nucleus with high protein density and it acts as a ribosome factory. The nucleolus contains a distinct region of the genome, the ribosomal RNA gene repeats (rDNA) that supply ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules. The rDNA is the most‐abundant gene and occupies a large part of the genome, for example, there are thousands of rDNA copies in the genomes of plant cells. Therefore, it is natural to suppose that the condition of the rDNA, such (...) as its stability, might affect cellular functions. Here I would like to propose a new model regarding the roles of the rDNA and nucleolus. The key point of this model is that they act to preserve genome stability and trigger aging. BioEssays 30:267–272, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

This study investigates the effect of socio-ecological networks on the willingness to communicate in English among Japanese people. Previous studies have shown that relational mobility, which is defined as the availability of opportunities to choose new relationship partners, positively affects the WTC in English for Japanese people. However, the network structure of the variables of relational mobility and its effects have not been revealed yet. The present study conducted network analysis with 474 Japanese university students and found the two clusters (...) that correspond to the dimensions of relational mobility in the partial correlation network. Three variables regarding opportunities to meet new people and leave current relationships positively affected the WTC in English; one had a negative effect. Centrality indices, such as nodes strength, betweenness, and closeness, revealed the centrality of several variables in the network. Bootstrapping methods showed the trustworthiness of the estimated network structure and centrality indices as well as edges and variables whose effects differed significantly from that of others. Contrary to the regression analysis results, the network analysis findings can help us understand the in-depth effect of relational mobility on the WTC in a second language, which will prove useful for intervention studies. (shrink)

量子力学、あるいはその発展史を扱った書物は、洋の東西を問わず、枚挙に暇がない。しかし、原著論文に逐一あたり、原著者と直接交流し、様々な議論を戦わせた後にその成果を採り入れて、まさに肉声をもって語り得た ものは極めて少ない。本書は、自らも量子力学基礎論において偉大な業績を挙げた著者が、研究者としての溢れる情熱と、歴史家としての冷徹な分析とを、相矛盾させることなく交えて、量子力学の本質を抉りだした、類い 稀な「複眼の書」である。伝説の物理学者が残した、全ての物理学徒必読、科学史家必携の名著。.

Theories of understanding and of language use cannot be detached from theories of truth and reference as many have recently attempted to say. Wittgenstein's early picture theory and his theory of reference {Bedeutung) is part and parcel of his view on understanding meaningful sentences {Sätze), and the use of expressions. His later theory of meaning as use of expressions is inseparable from his view on what kind of objects these expressions refer to. As logical analysis is a quest for definiteness (...) of sense and is not reductionism, not all objects of the Tractatus are of one kind. Singular propositions have no privileged role in linking language to the world. Understanding propositions with proper names or with demonstratives imply understanding of general propositions. This does not entail a definite description view of the sense of proper names. It does suggest that demonstrative pronouns are often not used anaphorically and never purely ostensively. (shrink)

In order to understand the thoughts of Leibniz it is important to stop putting Leibniz into the convenient pigeon-hole of rationalist, and stop thinking of him merely as the metaphysician and constructor of systems so vividly ridiculed by Voltaire in Candide . Most important of all, one should not attempt to see Leibniz's philosophy as a completely articulated and integrated whole or as built on three or five metaphysical and logical principles. It is better to remember that Leibniz was a (...) very prolific writer, who was interested in the most varied aspects of philosophy, logic, mathematics, natural science, jurisprudence, history and philology: a man who was constantly trying to work out a large number of heterogeneous theories and thoughts. The collected editions of his writings make up more than twenty thick volumes, and these hardly exhaust his manuscripts. Yet this was a man who published only one book in his lifetime. (shrink)