Magyar Tudomány, 1991 (98. kötet = Új folyam 36. kötet)

1991 / 3. sz. - KÖNYVSZEMLE - Beérkezett könyvek

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLES ILONA BANCZEROWSKI PELYHE—ISTVÁN TARNAWA—ILDIKÓ VILÁGI: WHAT BRAIN SLICES REVEAL: COMMON POINTS IN LEARNING AND THE PROCES­SES RESULTING IN CEREBRAL LESIONS According to the newest achievements in neurobiology, excitatory amino acids, which are also involved in basic metabolic processes, play an important role in communication between the cells of the central nervous system. They exert their effects at the synapses, the contact points between neurons. Recently, a peculiar signal transducing structure, the NMDA receptor has been discovered. Binding of excitatory amino aeid transmitters to these receptors induce processes that play a decisive role in activity-dependent neu­ronal mechanisms. Depending on the level of excitation, these processes may serve as a basis of both physiological and pathological events. They have been shown to play an important role in learning and memory, while their "overexcitation" may lead to the development of a variety of pathological states like epilepsy or some neurodegenerative disorders. Introduction of numerous interesting, new experimental methods, among them the technique of surviving brain slices, has effectively contributed to our understanding of the cellular mechanism of action of excitatory amino acids. (249) JÓZSEF HÁMORI—MIKLÓS MARÓTH—TAMÁS ROSKA: FUNCTIONAL ASYMMETRIES IN LIVING AND ARTIFICIAL SYSTEMS Taking as a point of departure the division of labour of the cerebral hemispheres of the human brain — asymmetrical as regards their functions —, the authors discuss three aspects of the problem indicated in the title; they explore them from the points of view of the brain researcher neurobiologist, the scholar of the antiquity and the researcher of electronic computation. Firstly, the study examines the functionally asymmetrical working of the two hemispheres of the human brain cooperating in harmony even while being in competition. The authors then disclose the role of intuition embedded in the rigorous train of logical deductions, as it can be found in the ancient Greek thinking. And, finally, making use also of the new analogous-"neural" solutions having irrupted in to the world of the computers operating on a logical basis, the author presents the dual computing structure rhyming also with the two hemisphere metaphore. (260) IS PHILOSOPHY TO BE REHABILITATED? An all-round inquiry has been made by Mária Ludassy, professor of philosophy, among eminent representatives of the Hungarian philosophy, on the general state, problems and tasks of the discipline. Seven of those questioned are heads of chairs of philosophy at Budapest universities while three of them are engaged in transforming chairs of official Marxism—Leninism at major universities into chairs of philosophy. Account is given in their replies on their work, difficulties and experiences. The authors of these writings are: Mária Ludassy, György Bence, Dezső Gsejtei, Sándor Csizmadia, Márta Fehér, István M. Fehér, Zsolt Papp, Sándor Radnóti, Miklós Gáspár Tamás, László Tengelyi and Mihály Vajda. (302) Hagyar Tudomány 1991. 3. szám 408

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