6,937 research outputs found
The sense of a beginning : Bakhtinian dialogic criticism on 'the gospel' in Mark.
Get PDFContemporary literary approaches have caused paradigm shifts in Biblical Studies in the last two decades as it appears in a great deal of Markan studies using narrative, reader-response, deconstructive, feminist, and new historicist approaches. However, literary studies on the Gospel of Mark have not taken into account theoretical questions underlying those approaches. As a result biblical critics are driven by new trends without ever having a chance to examine the critical baggage of the approaches. Consequently, there is a gap of communication between the old and the new one. Therefore this thesis is an attempt to meet the need of enhancing the quality of critical endeavour in biblical studies. In the light of most recent competing critical theories of literature, the first contribution of this thesis is the methodological finding that Bakhtinian dialogic criticism contains the most profound philosophical and practical foundations for solving some crucial theoretical problems in contemporary literary theories. It is a critique to a Saussurian linguistic system of language which becomes the very foundation of modern and postmodern literary criticism. Bakhtinian literary theory shifts the foundation of literary criticism on linguistic signs into the creative activity of the socio-cultural production of human communication. The shift into socio-cultural reality of language communication makes the notion of 'genre' very important to unlock the problem of text and context in literary studies. Since the Gospel of Mark has fascinated most literary critics in Biblical Studies, the problem of 'genre' of this gospel is chosen as the focus of this study. Secondly, as no agreement is reached as to what 'genre' the Gospel of Mark belongs, this thesis makes its contribution to the discussion by locating the problem of 'genre' of Mark in the context of genre theories and argues that the Bakhtinian suggestion to find genre in the socio-cultural sphere by analysing artistic intercourse between narrative agents in Mark has freed the competing analysis from the unresolved problem between the kerygmatic (content oriented) approach and the analogical (form oriented) approach. To achieve finding 'genre' in the socio-cultural sphere, this thesis focuses on Bakhtinian analysis of the process of artistic intercourse between narrative agents. The narrative communicative interrelationships between narrative agents is constructed in this thesis as a 'stereophonic' Bakhtinian model of dialogic communication. This model is an original contribution of this thesis for revising the traditional two dimensional model of narrative communication. Based on this dialogical model of communication, a special role is given to the Bakhtinian 'author-creator' in the realization process of genre through the interaction of polyphonic voices. Through the interaction of voices of the author-artist and the hero we are led to discover a relatively stable type of portraying and controlling reality in Mark, known as the genre of Roman 'satire'. The closest literary affinity is Satyrica by Petronius. This narrative strategy of 'satire' in Mark has its root in the prophetic discourse of the Old Testament which is saturating the speech of the narrator, John the Immerser, the centurion, the people, and even Jesus. Finally, the whole search for Markan 'genre' culminates in the analysis of the realization of genre through the analysis of Bakhtinian chronotope. The reality of the genre of Mark is its social reality that is in its role as dpxrj/ 'beginning'. As the Gospel of Mark proclaims itself as 'a beginning', it defines its claim of socio-cultural 'authority' in early Christianity. It is this 'sense of beginning' which enables the narrating and the narrated world of Mark to interact dialogically
The Gospel on the Margins: The Ideological Function of the Patristic Tradition on the Evangelist Mark
Get PDFIn spite of the virtually unanimous patristic opinion that the evangelist Mark was the interpreter of Peter, one of the most prestigious apostolic founding figures in Christian memory, the Gospel of Mark was mostly neglected in the patristic period. Not only is the text of Mark the least well represented of the canonical Gospels in terms of the number of patristic citations, commentaries and manuscripts, the explicit comments about the evangelist Mark reveal some ambivalence about its literary or theological value. In my survey of the reception of Mark from Papias of Hierapolis until Clement of Alexandria, I will argue that the reason why the patristic writers were hesitant to embrace the Gospel of Mark was that they perceived the text to be amenable to the Christological beliefs and social praxis of rival Christian factions. The patristic tradition about Mark may have little historical basis, but it had an important ideological function in appropriating the text in the name of an apostolic authority from the margins or periphery
Well-known trade mark protection: confusion in EU and Japan
No full textIn this thesis concerning the protection of well-known trade marks against confusion in the European Community Trade Mark (CTM) and Japanese trademark systems, the author critically considers the difficulties in comprehensively defining ‘well-known trade mark’ in the relevant international trade mark instruments. After critical analysis of various definitions of both ‘trade mark’ and ‘well-known trade mark’, she undertakes a comparison of the definitions of the parallel concepts of ‘trade mark of repute’ and ‘syuchi-syohyo’, and also undertakes an assessment as to the extent to which these trade marks are protected against confusion and kondo in the CTM and Japanese systems, respectively. It is concluded that the protection of well- known trade marks against confusion in the CTM and Japan cannot be said to be completely clear, and the author identifies some areas for legal refor
HUMOUR AND IRONY IN MARK HADDON`S NOVELS
Get PDFV The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time nam avtor skozi prvoosebnega pripovedovalca naslika portret petnajstletnika z Aspergerjevim sindromom, obliko avtistične motnje. Medtem, ko Christopher razrešuje uganko misterioznega umora psa v soseščini, bralcem nehote razkrije podrobnosti iz lastnega življenja, razloge za razhod staršev, odnose v šoli, manjše in večje osebne bitke, ki vodijo v manjše ali večje, enkrat zmage, spet drugič poraze. Vseskozi pa doživljamo pripoved drugače, kakor svoje življenje doživlja on, saj zaradi bolezenskega stanja ni sposoben socialne interakcije.
A Spot of Bother prikazuje padec še ne dolgo tega uspešnega človeka na vodilnem položaju, ki pa ob upokojitvi začne razmišljati o smrti, bolezni in najmračnejših straneh življenja. Medtem opazi spremenjeno tkivo na boku, za katero smatra, da je rakasto in usodno zanj, izve za ženino nezvestobo s svojim nekdanjim sodelavcem, sinove težave v istospolni zvezi in hčerino poroko z moškim, ki ga nihče ne mara, a je prijazen do njenega otroka iz prejšnje zveze. Vse to je za Georgea preveč in prične izgubljati razum.
Obe fiktivni zgodbi izpod peresa Marka Haddona, ki obravnavata težki življenjski situaciji posameznikov, sta predstavljeni z obilico humorja in ironije v zanj značilnem slogu.In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time the author paints a portrait of life of a fifteen-year-old autistic boy by implementing the first person narration technique. While Christopher is resolving the riddle of a mysterious murder of a neighbourhood dog, he unintentionally reveals details from his own life, the reason for his parents’ separation, relations at school, and his minor and major inner struggles leading to bigger or smaller victories or defeats. Nevertheless, we experience the narration differently from him experiencing certain situations he finds himself in, as he is unable of any social interaction due to his condition.
A Spot of Bother shows the decline of a successful manager, who starts thinking about death, illnesses and the dark side of life immediately after his retirement. He notices a lesion on his hip and is certain it is a form of lethal cancer, learns of his wife’s infidelity with his former colleague, of his son being gay, and his daughter’s wedding to a man nobody likes even though he is exceptionally good with her son from a previous relationship. George cannot process it all and starts losing his sanity.
Both fictional stories by Mark Haddon describe difficult situations in the lives of two individuals and are presented with plenty of humour and irony. I will analyse the modes of irony and humour Haddon uses in these two novels and I will show how this use of irony humour is essential to the development of the themes in each novel
Soluble CTLA-4 attenuates T cell activation and modulates anti-tumor immunity
No full textCTLA-4 is a crucial immune checkpoint receptor involved in the maintenance of immune homeostasis, tolerance, and tumor control. Antibodies targeting CTLA-4 have been promising treatments for numerous cancers, but the mechanistic basis of their anti-tumoral immune-boosting effects is poorly understood. Although the ctla4 gene also encodes an alternatively spliced soluble variant (sCTLA-4), preclinical/clinical evaluation of anti-CTLA-4-based immunotherapies have not considered the contribution of this isoform. Here, we explore the functional properties of sCTLA-4 and evaluate the efficacy of isoform-specific anti-sCTLA-4 antibody targeting in a murine cancer model. We show that expression of sCTLA-4 by tumor cells suppresses CD8+ T cells in vitro and accelerates growth and experimental metastasis of murine tumors in vivo. These effects were accompanied by modification of the immune infiltrate, notably restraining CD8+ T cells in a non-cytotoxic state. sCTLA-4 blockade with isoform-specific antibody reversed this restraint, enhancing intratumoral CD8+ T cell activation and cytolytic potential, correlating with therapeutic efficacy and tumor control. This previously unappreciated role of sCTLA-4 suggests that the biology and function of multi-gene products of immune checkpoint receptors need to be fully elucidated for improved mechanistic understanding of cancer immunotherapies
Incomprehension or resistance? : the Markan disciples and the narrative logic of Mark 4:1—8:30
No full textThe characterization of the Markan disciples has been and continues to be the object of much scholarly reflection and speculation. For many, the Markan author’s presentation of Jesus’ disciples holds a key, if not the key, to unlocking the purpose and function of the gospel as a whole. Commentators differ as to whether the Markan disciples ultimately serve a pedagogical or polemical function, yet they are generally agreed that the disciples in Mark come off rather badly, especially when compared to their literary counterparts in Matthew, Luke, and John.
This narrative-critical study considers the characterization of the Markan disciples within the Sea Crossing movement (Mark 4:1–8:30). While commentators have, on the whole, interpreted the disciples’ negative characterization in this movement in terms of lack of faith and/or incomprehension, neither of these, nor a combination of the two, fully accounts for the severity of language leveled against the disciples by the narrator (6:52) and Jesus (8:17–18). Taking as its starting point an argument by Jeffrey B. Gibson (1986) that the harshness of Jesus’ rebuke in Mark 8:14–21 is occasioned not by the disciples’ lack of faith or incomprehension but by their active resistance to his Gentile mission, this investigation uncovers additional examples of the disciples’ resistance to Gentile mission, offering a better account of their negative portrayal within the Sea Crossing movement and helping explain many of their other failures.
In short, this study argues that in Mark 4:1–8:26, the disciples are characterized as resistant to Jesus’ Gentile mission and to their participation in that mission, the chief consequence being that they are rendered incapable of recognizing Jesus’ vocational identity as Israel’s Messiah (Thesis A). This leads to a secondary thesis, namely, that in Mark 8:27–30, Peter’s recognition of Jesus’ messianic identity indicates that the disciples have finally come to accept Jesus’ Gentile mission and their participation in it (Thesis B).
“Chapter One: Introduction” offers a selective review of scholarly treatments of the Markan disciples, which shows that few scholars attribute resistance, let alone purposeful resistance, to the disciples.
“Chapter Two: The Rhetoric of Repetition” introduces the methodological tools, concepts, and perspectives employed in the study. It includes a section on narrative criticism, which focuses upon the story-as-discoursed and the implied author and reader, and a section on Construction Grammar, a branch of cognitive linguistics founded by Charles Fillmore and further developed by Paul Danove, which focuses upon semantic and narrative frames and case frame analysis.
“Chapter Three: The Sea Crossing Movement, Mark 4:1–8:30” addresses the question of Markan structure and argues that Mark 4:1–8:30 comprises a single, unified, narrative movement, whose action and plot is oriented to the Sea of Galilee and whose most distinctive feature is the network of sea crossings that transport Jesus and his disciples back and forth between Jewish and Gentile geopolitical spaces.
Following William Freedman, “Chapter Four: The Literary Motif” introduces two criteria (frequency and avoidability) for determining objectively what constitutes a literary motif and provides the methodological basis and starting point for the analyses performed in chapters five and six.
“Chapter Five: The Sea Crossing Motif” establishes and then carries out a lengthy narrative analysis of the Sea Crossing motif, which is oriented around Mark’s use of θάλασσα (thalassa) and πλοῖον (ploion), and “Chapter Six: The Loaves Motif” does the same for The Loaves motif, oriented around Mark’s use of ἄρτος (artos).
Finally, “Chapter Seven: The Narrative Logic of the Disciples (In)comprehension” draws together all narrative, linguistic, and exegetical insights of the previous chapters and offers a single coherent reading of the Sea Crossing movement that establishes Theses A and B.
Do disrupt: change the status quo : or become it, a book by Mark Shayler
Get PDFRecensão crítica à obra de Mark Shaler, "Do disrupt: change the status quo : or become it", 2015“Do Disrupt” is a cute and small self-help book. Most of its ideas aren´t exactly new – the reader probably as heard most of them. However, my guess is that readers would gain from hearing those ideas once more. Plus, the author makes a god job in presenting those ideas in a fresh and beautiful way.
Mark Shayler is an environmental consultant. His main focus is to help develop ideas and implement them. So far this his first book.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Recommended from our members
Understanding Earth's Deep Past: Lessons for Our Climate Future
Get PDFIsabel P. Montanez, Richard D. Norris, Thomas Algeo, Mark A. Chandler, Kirk R. Johnson, Martin J. Kennedy, Dennis V. Kent, Jeffrey T. Kiehl, Lee R. Kump, A. Christina Ravelo and Karl K. Turekia
A strategy to purify, expand and gene-mark regulatory T cells (tregs) for use in the treatment of chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD)
No full textBackground & Aim
Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) is a major complication of bone marrow transplantation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to ameliorate GVHD in pre-clinical studies and early phase clinical trials. However, Treg adoptive transfer is currently limited by cell dose and purity; and strategies to combine this with in vivo expansion are being actively pursued. In this project, we optimized a clinically applicable method to purify Tregs by Fluorescent-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS). We also developed a method to gene-mark Tregs to enable clinical fate-tracking.
Methods, Results & Conclusion
We could enrich Tregs to high purity: from 6.6% (±1.4%) in buffy coat samples to 54.1% (±20.9%) after CD25-immunomagnetic selection on a CliniMACS Plus device (Miltenyi Biotec), and to 95.3% (± 1.8%) purity after multiparametric FACS-sorting for CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs (MacsQuant Tyto, Miltenyi Biotec). The purified Tregs could be expanded with CD3/CD28 activation in medium supplemented with interleukin-2 and rapamycin. We showed that Tregs could be successfully gene-marked with a clinically approved retroviral vector, SFG.iCasp9.2A.ΔCD19. The expanded gene-marked Tregs maintained a high level of FOXP3 expression (92% ± 0.7%) and FOXP3 promoter demethylation, which is a hallmark of bona fide Tregs. Importantly, gene-marking did not alter FOXP3 expression or Treg suppressor function.
We will now scale up this process using leukapheresis samples from healthy volunteers in preparation for a phase I clinical study in patients with chronic GVHD using Treg transfer in combination with low-dose interleukin-2 for in vivo expansion. Gene-marking will enable analysis of the contribution of adoptive transfer (gene-marked) versus in vivoexpansion (non-gene marked) Tregs, thus informing rational Treg-directed combination therapy.No Full Tex
Minimal Mark-Up of multiple choice exams using XML
Get PDFWe describe a minimal XML mark-up for multiple choice exams. In our system, exams may be generated at anytime, by choosing a subset of questions from a pool. Furthermore, the system randomises the order of the choices within each chosen question. Thus a student may sit the exam many times. Our first version of this system has been described elsewhere. In this paper, we discuss the limitations of our first system that led to our current work, and give a description of the new system features, including XML tags for supporting collaborative authoring
- …
