1,498 research outputs found
The human body as a terrorist weapon: hunger strikes and suicide bombers
No full textThis article argues that a major factor in terrorist acts is an appeal to the actor's own community at an emotional and symbolic level, through acts of sacrifice, particularly self-sacrifice. Although other aims also exist, a prime concern is to recall the actor's home audience to the struggle, because the actor regards himself as acting on their behalf. This utilizes the imagery and symbolism of traditional religion, implying a strong communal and non-material impetus to terrorist acts, rather than rational material calculation, that modern Western man finds difficult to comprehend. It also recalls much classical social theory, which emphasized the central role of religion in community. Self-sacrifice tells an emotional story to the actor's community that is comprehensible to them and will have an emotional appeal to maintaining the community. For the Northern Ireland hunger strikes (possibly analogous to suicide bombers) this is reflected in their appeal solely to a Catholic/nationalist community that equates strongly with ideas of a pre-modern society under threat from a modernizing society. All the hunger strikers were very normal for their community, but left non-Catholics completely unmoved. Consequently there is a need to understand the communal dynamics behind terrorism if one is to effectively counter the threat and that different societies may have different values regarding the individual, community, and life itself. Individual motivations do not provide an adequate explanation for much terrorism and it is a failure to grasp this that severely hinders much counterterrorism
Ratzinger, Habermas i Pera o racji publicznej i religii
No full textThe article discusses the views of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Marcello Pera and Jürgen Habermas on the theistic paradigm in science. Although the above thinkers come from different philosophical schools, they share a common belief that the atheist paradigm in science, especially in ethics, leads to reductionism and, as a result, hinders the acquisition of authentic knowledge. The proposed solution is to act veluti si Deus daretur, as if God did indeed existArtykuł poświęcony jest refleksji Józefa Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI, Marcello Pery oraz Jürgena Habermasa dotyczącej uwzględniania teistycznego paradygmatu w nauce. Chociaż powyżsi myśliciele wywodzą się z różnych szkół filozoficznych, to łączy ich wspólne przekonanie, co do faktu, że ateistyczny paradygmat w naukach, szczególnie etyce, prowadzi do redukcjonizmu i w konsekwencji utrudnia autentyczne poznanie. Proponowanym rozwiązaniem tej sytuacji jest postępować zgodnie z zasadą veluti si Deus daretur, a więc tak, jak gdyby Bóg rzeczywiście istniał.
Genetic association study of QT interval highlights role for calcium signaling pathways in myocardial repolarization.
No full textThe QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, is a heritable trait. QT prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) and could indicate the presence of the potentially lethal mendelian long-QT syndrome (LQTS). Using a genome-wide association and replication study in up to 100,000 individuals, we identified 35 common variant loci associated with QT interval that collectively explain ∼8-10% of QT-interval variation and highlight the importance of calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization. Rare variant analysis of 6 new QT interval-associated loci in 298 unrelated probands with LQTS identified coding variants not found in controls but of uncertain causality and therefore requiring validation. Several newly identified loci encode proteins that physically interact with other recognized repolarization proteins. Our integration of common variant association, expression and orthogonal protein-protein interaction screens provides new insights into cardiac electrophysiology and identifies new candidate genes for ventricular arrhythmias, LQTS and SCD
Gerald Odonis’ Economics Treatise
No full textGerald Odonis’ treatise on contracts, restitutions, and excommunication is one of his earliest works, composed in Toulouse ca. 1315-17. Mainly based on Peter John Olivi’s De contractibus, but using a variety of other sources and offering some original arguments as well, it is remarkable for its pragmatic approach to economic phenomena.
His rejection of the rational argument against usury reveals a casual use of the bull Exiit qui seminat, defining Franciscan poverty, as well as a change of assumptions in the approach to economic exchange. Whereas various explanations can be provided for the provocative aspect of this youthful treatise, all in all, it can best be described as a free and uninhibited interpretation of the scholastic tradition
Effects of wetting layer structure on surface phase stability and on indium surface diffusion
No full textWe study the effects of surface reconstruction and step formation on the surface phase stability, of an InAs wetting layer on GaAs(001). In particular we focus our attention on the α2 and β2 (2 × 4) surface reconstructions. The two investigated reconstructions have been shown to be formed at an high In coverage, at the onset of the 2D→3D transition. The analysis of the connection between the step stability and the strain distribution around the step edges leads to the conclusion that the favoured step geometries are those minimising the strain. Finally, In diffusion on the flat reconstructed wetting layers has been investigated.We find: (i) the elements of the surface reconstructions favouring In diffusion; (ii) that In diffusion on these surfaces is strongly anisotropic, favoring the [-110] direction; (iii) that the As surface dimers introduce additional adsorption sites with high barriers for In escape
Duch Święty w listach św. Pawła
No full textTo speak of the Holy Spirit in Saint Paul means to approach one of the most central and complex themes of Pauline theology. Paul, in fact, often speaks of the Spirit and he considers him as the person who acts in the history of salvation, in the life of the church and of each believer. In this sense the epistles of Paul do not give us a notion of the Spirit, but an experience of the Spirit which concerns God, Christ and man who act for the full realization of salvation. Hence the abundance of titles attributed to the Holy Spirit and the variegated diversity of charismatic manifestations which, in the strength of the Spirit, operate in the Pauline communities: glossolalia, prophecy, the charisms of the apostolate and Christian life, etc. Because of the complexity and in order to respect Paul\u27s thought about the Spirit, thought linked to experience, the author begins his study from the rich terminology of the Apostle in his epistles. The different interpretations of this terminology are also presented. The author highlights that the deep literary root from which Paul draws to present the reality of the "spirit of God" comes from the revelation of the Old Testament. Paul draws from this source his thought, his images and his expressions to signify the reality of the Spirit. In a word, the Old Testament gives Paul the literary model with which he expresses his thoughts on the Spirit. Afterwards, the author goes on to describe the different aspects of the action of the Spirit presented by Saint Paul in his epistles.Mówienie o Duchu Świętym u św. Pawła oznacza zbliżenie się do jednego z najbardziej centralnych i złożonych tematów teologii Pawłowej. Paweł bowiem często mówi o Duchu i uważa go za osobę, która działa w historii zbawienia, w życiu Kościoła i każdego wierzącego. W tym sensie listy Pawła nie dają nam pojęcia Ducha, ale doświadczenie Ducha, które dotyczy Boga, Chrystusa i człowieka, którzy działają na rzecz pełnego urzeczywistnienia zbawienia. Stąd obfitość tytułów przypisywanych Duchowi Świętemu i różnorodna różnorodność przejawów charyzmatycznych, które mocą Ducha działają we wspólnotach paulińskich: glosolalia, proroctwo, charyzmaty apostolatu i życia chrześcijańskiego itp. Ze względu na złożoność i aby uszanować myśl Pawła o Duchu, myśl powiązaną z doświadczeniem, autor rozpoczyna swoje studium od bogatej terminologii Apostoła w jego listach. Przedstawiono również różne interpretacje tej terminologii. Autor podkreśla, że głęboki literacki korzeń, z którego czerpie Paweł, aby przedstawić rzeczywistość „ducha Bożego”, pochodzi z objawienia Starego Testamentu. Paweł czerpie z tego źródła swoją myśl, swoje obrazy i swoje wyrażenia, aby zaznaczyć rzeczywistość Ducha. Jednym słowem, Stary Testament daje Pawłowi literacki wzór, za pomocą którego wyraża on swoje myśli o Duchu. Następnie autor przechodzi do opisu różnych aspektów działania Ducha przedstawionych przez św. Pawła w jego listach
Ratzinger, Habermas i Pera o racji publicznej i religii
No full textArtykuł poświęcony jest refleksji Józefa Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI, Marcello Pery oraz Jürgena Habermasa dotyczącej uwzględniania teistycznego paradygmatu w nauce. Chociaż powyżsi myśliciele wywodzą się z różnych szkół filozoficznych, to łączy ich wspólne przekonanie, co do faktu, że ateistyczny paradygmat w naukach, szczególnie etyce, prowadzi do redukcjonizmu i w konsekwencji utrudnia autentyczne poznanie. Proponowanym rozwiązaniem tej sytuacji jest postępować zgodnie z zasadą veluti si Deus daretur, a więc tak, jak gdyby Bóg rzeczywiście istniał.
Ruins of the past: the use and perception of abandoned structures in the Maya lowlands
No full textTravix W. Stanton and Aline Magnoni, editors.Includes bibliographical references and index.From the Formative to the present, Maya peoples have continuously built, altered, abandoned, and re-used structures, imbuing them with new meanings at each transformation. Ruins of the Past is the first volume to focus on how previously built structures in the Maya Lowlands were used and perceived by later peoples, exploring the topic through concepts of landscape, place, and memory.--Book jacket.Foreword / Wendy Ashmore -- Places of remembrance: the use and perception of abandoned structures in the Maya lowlands / Travis W. Stanton and Aline Magnoni -- Forgotten structures, haunted houses, and occupied hearts: ancient perspectives and contemporary interpretations of abandoned sites and buildings in the Mirador Basin, Guatemala / Richard D. Hansen, Wayne K. Howell, and Stanley P. Guenter -- The transformation of abandoned architecture at Piedras Negras / Mark B. Child and Charles W. Golden -- Structure abandonment and landscape transformation: examples from the Three Rivers region / Lauren A. Sullivan [and others] -- Manipulating memory in the wake of dynastic decline at El Perú-Waka': termination deposits at abandoned structure M13-1 / Olivia C. Navarro Farr, David A. Freidel, and Ana Lucía Arroyave Prera -- Establishing and reusing sacred place: a diachronic perspective from Blackman Eddy, Belize / M. Kathryn Brown and James F. Garber -- Anatomy of a post-collapse society: identity and interaction in early postclassic Copán / T. Kam Manahan -- Landscape transformations and changing perceptions at Chunchucmil, Yucatán / Aline Magnoni, Scott R. Hutson, and Travis W. Stanton -- Edzná: a lived place through time / Antonio Benavides C. -- Memories, meanings, and historical awareness: post-abandonment behaviors among the lowland Maya / Marcello A. Canuto and Anthony P. Andrews -- Afterword / Denise Fay Brown
Influence of mix design parameters on reactivity and setting of alkali-activated materials
No full textThe mix design of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is developed by taking into account several interdependent parameters. Therefore, the optimization of these to achieve a robust composition might represent a great challenge. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the influence of some key parameters on the reactivity and setting of AAMs. The effects of alkali-modulus (Ms), water to binder (w/b) and solution to binder (s/b) ratios are assessed on a binder made from 50% blast furnace slag and 50% fly ash activated with a combination of NaOH and water glass in which Na2O and SiO2 are tuned according to the chosen mix design. Results show that each parameter leads to significant effects in the investigated aspects. Although the heat release is significantly influenced by w/b ratio at early ages, this appears to be more influenced by Ms and s/b ratio at 7 days. Nevertheless, the w/b ratio exhibits a significantly higher impact on setting time
Conceptual proximity and the experience of war in Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘A working party'
No full textSantanu Das (2007) has argued that the defining characteristics of first-world war poetry are the stark movement away from epic forms, and the refashioning of verse as a type of ‘missive from the trenches’, both of which shift the perspective of the reading experience from distance to proximity. In this chapter, I offer a way of explaining this interpretation both generally, and specifically through analysing Siegfried Sassoon’s (1917) ‘A Working Party’. My analysis focuses on the distribution of complex temporal and atemporal profiles, the texture afforded by reference point relationships and the subsequent authorial manipulation and control over dominions, and the point-of view effects associated with pronoun use. I suggest that paying close attention to these can explain a reading experience that illuminates at close-hand the horrific intimacy of the trench
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