„God is the beyond in the midst of our lives“ (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). Considering Absentheism

The article shows that the idea of a transcendent God that is considered to be beyond does only make sense in the realm of human lives. Based on Gérard Granel’s and Dieter Henrich’s concepts of the subject, it is shown that the concept of the beyond needs to be discussed in a hermeneutical manner rather than a metaphysical. An idea for such a hermeneutical approach can be found in Jean-Luc Nancy’s Deconstruction of Christianity when Nancy specifies on his term “absentheism”

Democracy and the soul of politics. Rethinking theological concept in the light of Badiou, Nancy, Marx and Rancière

In accord with Jean–Luc Nancy and Alain Badiou the article argues for an understanding of the idea of democracy as a “truth procedure” that is instigated by the event of the encounter of at least two persons or peoples. When Nancy states that democracy is “spirit,” “breath,” and “sense” he implicitly links democracy to the idea of the soul. As life principle of the human being the soul instigates a truth procedure which brings humanity into being as an idea that exceeds any concept of citizenship bound to a state or nation. In association with both Giorgio Agamben’s reading of Karl Marx and Jacques Rancière’s concept of politics the article concludes with the statement that the idea of democracy refers to the soul of politics which is the idea of humanity

Transgressing the Myth – H.P. Lovecraft’s Philosophy of Life and its Narrative Execution. An Essay

Howard Philips Lovecraft counts as the father of modern horror literature. His narrative work is considered to be an anti-mythology which gives way to the readers imagination. The essay elaborates on his narrative technique that is determined by psychological and philosophical motives. Furthermore, Lovecraft’s stories are said to portray a nihilistic world view. The essay argues that there is more to Lovecraft’s work than a nihilistic perspective, namely a philosophy of life that is motivated by his reading of Epicurus and Lucretius. On the subject of mythology the thesis is, that an anti-mythology does not necessarily mean non-mythology. Lovecraft’s literary work is rather transgressing central mythological tropes in light of his philosophical worldview. It is a way of expressing his philosophy of life in a narrative way

Ocean current observations from Nares Strait to the west of Greenland: Interannual to tidal variability and forcing

During 2003–06, as part of the Arctic Sub-Arctic Ocean Flux (ASOF) experiment, an array of oceansensing instruments was deployed at 80.5N latitude to investigate the flux of seawater from the Arctic Ocean via Nares Strait, the pathway to the west of Greenland. Three-year measurements of current from this experiment provide, for the first time at periods longer than a single season, the seawater flux and its variability via this important pathway. Below 30-m depth the average flux of volume 2003–06 was 0.57±0.09 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s–1) southward over a 38-km wide section reaching 360 m in depth. A linear trend, statistically significant at the 95% confidence level, indicates an increase in the sectionally averaged flow below 30-m depth of 20 ± 10% between 2003 and 2006. The flow is dominated by mixed diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal currents with kinetic energy an order of magnitude larger than that of the subtidal flow. The range of seasonal variation is 30–50% of the long-term mean flow. Variations in flow of daily to monthly period are comparable in magnitude to the average flow. The flow through the cross-section is the net result of a larger southward flux in the deep western two thirds of the strait and a small northward flux within about 5 km of Greenland. The latter is about 5% of the former. Spectral analyses indicates that the cross-channel pressure gradient is highly correlated with the sectionally averaged flow consistent with geostrophy. Along-channel pressure gradient explains 70% of the variance at a 33-day period with a phase lag consistent with a frictional response; at 3–7 day period the response is weaker (\u3c30%) with a phase relation suggestive of contributions by both friction and local acceleration

Buoyancy and wind forcing of a coastal current

Local winds and lateral buoyancy fluxes from estuaries constitute two major forcing mechanisms on the inner continental shelf of the Mid Atlantic Bight on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A. We report observations of the resulting coastal current that suggest a linear superposition of the wind and buoyancy forced motions. This current, which we term the Delaware Coastal Current, has a mean flow of about 10 cm/s in the direction of Kelvin wave phase propagation. It opposes the generally upwelling favorable local winds there. The same winds, however, force important across-shelf flows that agree qualitatively with Ekman dynamics with Ekman numbers that are O(1). Velocity fluctuations at current meter mooring are consistent with the above dynamics, and explain the local hydrography well. Trajectories from drifters and derived velocity fields, too, reveal consistent flow patterns. We further find that Lagrangian and Eulerian integral time scales are similar, implying a linear flow field. We estimate dispersion coefficients for this buoyancy driven coastal current to be about 2000 and 200 m2/s in the along- and across-shelf direction, respectively. Our results disagree both qualitatively and quantitatively with those of a recent numerical model of the study area

Chapter 16 The Role of Validation in Integrating Multiple Perspectives

The internet is the primary source of information about a broad range of topics, which may range from consumer and medical decisions to political and socio-scientific issues. The relevant information is often available in the form of written texts that convey divergent perspectives, such as different opinions, competing theoretical assumptions, arguments and counterarguments, and evidence and counterevidence. What are the challenges and potential problems associated with comprehending texts that convey multiple perspectives? How can students be supported to make the most of this obviously complicated reading situation? This chapter attempts to answer these questions from a particular theoretical perspective that revolves around the notion that readers routinely validate text information against pertinent and accessible knowledge and beliefs. We will discuss how validation acts in concert with the two other major component processes of text comprehension, activation and integration. This discussion will be followed by an outline of the Two-step Model of Validation, a model that makes predictions about circumstances that enable or hinder readers to form a coherent and consistent mental representation out of multiple perspectives

Recent Advances in Adhesive Bonding - The Role of Biomolecules, Nanocompounds, and Bonding Strategies in Enhancing Resin Bonding to Dental Substrates

Purpose of review: To present an overview on the main agents (i.e., biomolecules and nanocompounds) and/or strategies currently available to amplify or stabilize resin-dentin bonding. Recent findings: According to studies retrieved for full text reading (2014-2017), there are currently six major strategies available to overcome resin-dentin bond degradation: (i) use of collagen crosslinking agents, which may form stable covalent bonds with collagen fibrils, thus strengthening the hybrid layer; (ii) use of antioxidants, which may allow further polymerization reactions over time; (iii) use of protease inhibitors, which may inhibit or inactivate metalloproteinases; (iv) modification of the bonding procedure, which may be performed by using the ethanol wet-bonding technique or by applying an additional adhesive (hydrophobic) coating, thereby strengthening the hybrid layer; (v) laser treatment of the substrate prior to bonding, which may cause specific topographic changes in the surface of dental substrates, increasing bonding efficacy; and (vi) reinforcement of the resin matrix with inorganic fillers and/or remineralizing agents, which may positively enhance physico-mechanical properties of the hybrid layer. Summary: With the present review, we contributed to the better understanding of adhesion concepts and mechanisms of resin-dentin bond degradation, showing the current prospects available to solve that problematic. Also, adhesively-bonded restorations may be benefited by the use of some biomolecules, nanocompounds or alternative bonding strategies in order to minimize bond strength degradation

Observations of coastal upwelling off Uruguay downshelf of the Plata estuary, South America

We analyze hydrographic and current observations of an upwelling center off eastern South America on the Uruguayan coast (∼35S) and downshelf from the Rio de la Plata estuary. Our observations show that the buoyancy-driven subtidal alongshore circulation is modulated by winds. During the winter, strong upwelling-favorable local winds forced the Rio de la Plata buoyant plume poleward. In the summer, the plume detached from the coast with warm and saline subtropical waters intruding from the north. These waters bounded the upwelling of cold waters in the nearshore area off Uruguay. A shallow submarine canyon cutting obliquely across the shelf facilitates the advection of cold waters into the coastal upwelling domain. An upwelling jet was detected off Uruguay for summer conditions, while for winter the plume configuration generated strong horizontal shear of along-shelf currents. Cross-shelf circulation was dependent on the coastal stratification. Under low stratification (summer) a two-layer circulation developed, with thick surface and bottom mixed layers flowing in opposite directions. High stratification levels (winter) modified this pattern by allowing circulation along a thick stratified interior. The existence of upwelling was linked to the history of wind events and shelf stratification. During the winter, downwelling winds frequently restore the plume, so the upwelling efficiency is very low. In the summer, downwelling events are less frequent and intense, so that the cumulative effect of upwelling events act to export the Plata freshwaters offshore. The reduction of inner-shelf stratification increases the likelihood of a full upwelling to the surface. Analysis of the wind-induced Ekman transport suggests that the Uruguay upwelling system reflects a seasonal wind pattern modulated by significant interannual variability

Spatial continuity of measured seawater and tracer fluxes through Nares Strait, a dynamically wide channel bordering the Canadian Archipelago

Freshwater delivered as precipitation and runoff to the North Pacific and Arctic oceans returns to the Atlantic principally via the Canadian polar shelf and Fram Strait. It is conveyed as ice or freshened seawater. Here we use detailed ship-based measurements to calculate a snap-shot of volume, freshwater, and tracer fluxes through Nares Strait, a 500-km long waterway separating Greenland and Ellesmere Island. We use quasi-synoptic observations of current by ship-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), of salinity and temperature by CTD probe and of dissolved nutrients by rosette bottle sampler on four cross-sections between 82 and 78N latitude. Data were collected during the first half of August 2003. We partition the fluxes into components derived from Pacific and Atlantic inflows into the Arctic Ocean. During the time of the survey, there was a net southward 0.91±0.10 Sv (106 m3 s-1) flux of volume and a net southward 31±4 10-3 Sv (977±127 km3 y-1) flux of freshwater relative to a salinity of 34.8. Much of the volume flux was carried within a strong (40 cm s-1), narrow (10 km) subsurface jet hugging the western (Ellesmere Island) side of the strait. The presence of this jet in four sections spanning the 500-km length of the strait is evidence of a buoyant boundary current through the strait. The jet was coincident with elevated concentrations of phosphate (1.0 mmol m-3) and silicate (11 mmol m-3) which both indicate a Pacific Ocean source. We interpreted the ratio of dissolved total inorganic nitrogen to phosphate in terms of fractional dilution of Atlantic by Pacific waters. About 0.43±0.10 Sv (39%) of the southward flow was of Pacific origin. These results are a snapshot during the summer of 2003 following a prolonged period of northward directed wind stress when ice cover was mobile. Although long-term mean values are likely different, we determined that the major fraction of the through-flow is carried by a jet of scale determined by the internal Rossby radius (5-10 km)