Resurrection in Mark 12: Refining the Covenant Hypothesis

The defence of resurrection in Mk 12.18-27 has been understood in various ways, based on different reconstructions of the logic of Jesus’ citation of Exod. 3.6. These various approaches may be generally grouped under two broad categories: ‘present relationship’ hypotheses and ‘covenant/context’ hypotheses. This study evaluates those approaches, seeking to critique the existing covenant/context proposals of F. Dreyfus (1959) and Bradley R. Trick (2007) and extend their insights in new directions. In doing so, it focuses on citation context and similar reasoning in other early Jewish and Christian texts, including an overlooked analogue in Heb. 11. It will be argued that this context and these analogues lend support to a revised version of the covenant/context hypothesis that understands Mk 12 as predicating resurrection on divine faithfulness to the covenant between God and the patriarchs

In and Out of Egypt: the Conceptual Location of Ancient Alexandria, and a Paradox for Alexandrian Judaism?

A two-part paper. The first part revisits the conceptual relationship of Alexandria to Egypt by conducting a brief yet broad survey of ancient sources from the founding of Alexandria (c. 331 BCE to 300 CE). Particular attention is paid to Jewish perspectives, given our focus on Alexandrian Judaism and Egyptian Judaism more broadly. The second part of the paper turns to the ‘paradox’ of Egyptian Judaism, sketching the background to this paradox in Jewish tradition before considering the strength of the evidence for the recognition and mitigation of the paradox in antiquity

Submarine films as narratives of masculinity

The research for this thesis is on representations of masculinity in Anglo-American submarine films since 1943. The discussion will draw on relevant work on the representation of masculinity and popular cinema in film and cultural studies. In particular, the thesis will account for the notion of hegemony in relation to masculinity in the submarine film. Further, the notion of hegemonic masculinity will be addressed in terms of four key claims. These are as follows: that relations between groups are characterised solely by domination and subordination, that a singular hegemonic masculinity prevails at anyone time, that this masculinity is coherent, and that hegemonic masculinity is consistently dominant in relations of power. Through the reading of the films, this thesis will critique the notion of hegemonic masculinity in the following terms: a] the recurrent concern with the group emphasises teamwork and cooperation rather than domination and subordination. Even where these relations operate at the level of fantasy, they can suggest utopian possibilities of mutuality. b] This preoccupation with teamwork shows that the struggle between competing masculinities endorses difference in masculinity, not just a hegemonic masculinity. c] Rather than privileging hegemonic masculinity as coherent, this struggle leads to alliances between masculinities, in which hegemonic masculinity has to negotiate contradictions in masculinity. d] This account of submarine films therefore shows that masculinity involves the complex negotiation of differences and not solely the consistent privileging of hegemonic masculinity. The analysis will be organised into chapters that derive specifically from the following thematic concerns within the case study: nature, the masculine body, men's friendships, rationality, vision and power, ideological processes, and the submarine as masculine space. Through the discussion of these themes and the developments in submarine films, the thesis will show the extent to which representations of masculinity in the case study conform to assumptions about hegemonic masculinity and popular film

Amplitude controlled electromagnetic pulse switching using waveguide junctions for high-speed computing processes

Performing computational tasks with wave-based devices is becoming a groundbreaking paradigm that can open new opportunities for the next generation of efficient analogue and digital computing systems. Decision-making processes for switching and routing of signal is fundamental for computing as it enables the transfer of information from one to many (or single) blocks within a system. Here, we propose and demonstrate a technique for the design of pulse-based switching devices for the computing of fundamental decision-making processes. In our technique, we encode information from multiple channels as transverse electromagnetic (TEM) pulses of varying amplitudes and polarities propagating through interconnected parallel plate waveguides modelled as simple transmission lines. An in-depth description of our technique is presented showing how switching and routing of information can be engineered by correctly exploiting the linear splitting and superposition of multiple pulses traveling through waveguide junctions. To demonstrate the potential of our technique for computing, we develop two devices: a comparator which can calculate the largest value between two real-valued numbers and a pulse director which exploits the reciprocity of waveguide junctions to create a similar yet different performance of a traditional AND gate (emulating its performance via our analogue linear system). These findings may open new pathways and possibilities for high-speed electromagnetic pulse-based computing systems.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure

Submarine films as narratives of masculinity

The research for this thesis is on representations of masculinity in Anglo-American submarine films since 1943. The discussion will draw on relevant work on the representation of masculinity and popular cinema in film and cultural studies. In particular, the thesis will account for the notion of hegemony in relation to masculinity in the submarine film. Further, the notion of hegemonic masculinity will be addressed in terms of four key claims. These are as follows: that relations between groups are characterised solely by domination and subordination, that a singular hegemonic masculinity prevails at anyone time, that this masculinity is coherent, and that hegemonic masculinity is consistently dominant in relations of power. Through the reading of the films, this thesis will critique the notion of hegemonic masculinity in the following terms: a] the recurrent concern with the group emphasises teamwork and cooperation rather than domination and subordination. Even where these relations operate at the level of fantasy, they can suggest utopian possibilities of mutuality. b] This preoccupation with teamwork shows that the struggle between competing masculinities endorses difference in masculinity, not just a hegemonic masculinity. c] Rather than privileging hegemonic masculinity as coherent, this struggle leads to alliances between masculinities, in which hegemonic masculinity has to negotiate contradictions in masculinity. d] This account of submarine films therefore shows that masculinity involves the complex negotiation of differences and not solely the consistent privileging of hegemonic masculinity. The analysis will be organised into chapters that derive specifically from the following thematic concerns within the case study: nature, the masculine body, men's friendships, rationality, vision and power, ideological processes, and the submarine as masculine space. Through the discussion of these themes and the developments in submarine films, the thesis will show the extent to which representations of masculinity in the case study conform to assumptions about hegemonic masculinity and popular film

MOF Decomposition and Introduction of Repairable Defects Using a Photodegradable Strut

International audiencePhotoswitchable components can modulate the properties of metal organic frameworks (MOFs); however, photolabile building blocks remain underexplored. A new strut NPDAC (2‐nitro‐1,4‐phenylenediacetic acid) that undergoes photodecarboxylation has been prepared and incorporated into a MOF, using post‐synthetic linker exchange (PSLE) from the structural analogue containing PDAC (p‐phenylenediacetic acid). Irradiation of NPDAC‐MOF leads to MOF decomposition and concomitant formation of amorphous material. In addition to complete linker exchange, MOFs containing a mixture of PDAC and NPDAC can be obtained through partial linker exchange. In NPDAC30‐MOF, which contains approximately 30 % NPDAC, the MOF retains crystallinity after irradiation, but the MOF contains defect sites consistent with loss of decarboxylated NPDAC linkers. The defect sites can be repaired by exposure to additional PDAC or NPDAC linkers at a much faster rate than the initial exchange process. The photoremoval and replacement process may lead to a more general approach to customizable MOF structures

Differential effects of Parkinson\u27s disease and dopamine replacement on memory encoding and retrieval.

Increasingly memory deficits are recognized in Parkinson\u27s disease (PD). In PD, the dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra (SN) are significantly degenerated whereas those in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are relatively spared. Dopamine-replacement medication improves cognitive processes that implicate the SN-innervated dorsal striatum but is thought to impair those that depend upon the VTA-supplied ventral striatum, limbic and prefrontal cortices. Our aim was to examine memory encoding and retrieval in PD and how they are affected by dopamine replacement. Twenty-nine PD patients performed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and a non-verbal analogue, the Aggie Figures Learning Test (AFLT), both on and off dopaminergic medications. Twenty-seven, age-matched controls also performed these memory tests twice and their data were analyzed to correspond to the ON-OFF order of the PD patients to whom they were matched. We contrasted measures that emphasized with those that accentuated retrieval and investigated the effect of PD and dopamine-replacement on these processes separately. For PD patients relative to controls, encoding performance was normal in the off state and was impaired on dopaminergic medication. Retrieval was impaired off medication and improved by dopamine repletion. This pattern of findings suggests that VTA-innervated brain regions such as ventral striatum, limbic and prefrontal cortices are implicated in encoding, whereas the SN-supplied dorsal striatum mediates retrieval. Understanding this pattern of spared functions and deficits in PD, and the effect of dopamine replacement on these distinct memory processes, should prompt closer scrutiny of patients\u27 cognitive complaints to inform titration of dopamine replacement dosages along with motor symptoms

The effect of dopamine therapy on ventral and dorsal striatum-mediated cognition in Parkinson\u27s disease: support from functional MRI.

The central aim of our study was to elucidate functions mediated by the ventral and dorsal striatum, respectively, to better understand the cognitive effects of dopamine replacement in Parkinson\u27s disease. We proposed that the ventral striatum underlies general learning of stimulus associations, whereas the dorsal striatum promotes integration of various influences on selecting. In Parkinson\u27s disease, dopamine depletion is substantially less notable in the ventral relative to the dorsal striatum, and therefore greater improvements are expected for dorsal striatum-mediated functions with dopamine replacement. Using a simple selection task, we found that dopamine replacement impaired encoding and facilitation of consistent stimulus-stimulus relations across trials. This finding was in line with our contention that ventral striatum mediates learning stimulus associations, even when explicit feedback or reward is not provided. In contrast, dopamine replacement enhanced interference related to assimilating conflicting influences on selection across trials, consistent with our hypothesis that the dorsal striatum supports deciding in ambiguous contexts. We further confirmed these separable roles for the ventral and dorsal striatum in our selection task with healthy young volunteers using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In summary, we present a within-subject, double dissociation of the effects of dopamine replacement in patients with Parkinson\u27s disease for ventral striatum-mediated facilitation and dorsal striatum-mediated interference, confirmed in a separate functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment. Defining the distinct functions of the ventral and dorsal striatum will have direct clinical implications. Titration of therapy in Parkinson\u27s disease is generally geared towards optimizing dorsal striatum-mediated motor symptoms, possibly at the expense of ventral striatum operations, a consequence that is only beginning to be recognized. Enhanced awareness of these different processes will translate into medication strategies that take into account those symptoms that dopamine replacement might hinder, as well as improve. Here, we show impairments in learning new stimulus associations compared with improvements in integrating varied influences related to selection. Ultimately, this knowledge will lead clinicians to survey a broader range of symptoms in determining optimal therapy based on individual patient priorities