God’s Action in History

The explication of the Christian hope of resurrection requires Christianity to spell out the way in which God actually deals in the world. Only if we succeed, with regard to past, present, and future, in making the talk of God’s special action in history plausible, are we able to reasonably assert essential Christian beliefs. Yet due to past horrors, present ongoing suffering, and a future that promises of little else, it is precisely this talk that has become doubtful. This article tries to describe God’s action as a process enabling freedom and love in order to develop a theodicy-sensitive speech about God’s action

Novel strategies for process control based on hybrid semi-parametric mathematical systems

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Química. Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 201

Zwischen Welten: Hybride Figuren und ihre religiösen Überformungen im persischen Schāhnāme und im deutschen Wigalois

Held:innen begehen Abenteuerwege, überschreiten Grenzen und verbinden Welten. Trotz postmoderner und postkolonialer Theoretisierung und Vereinnahmung von Konzepten rund um Hybridität, Transkulturalität, Rhizomen und Cyborgs, weist auch oder gerade das mittelalterliche Erzählen eine besondere Fülle an liminalen Figurenzeichnungen und räumlichen Inszenierungen des Dazwischen auf. Dass dies noch dazu kulturübergreifend gilt, zeigt die transkulturell-komparatistische Analyse dieser Arbeit, die sich den im persischen und mittelhochdeutschen Raum jeweils prominenten Heldenfiguren Rostam aus dem persischen Schāhnāme Ferdausis und Gwigalois aus dem Artusroman Wigalois Wirnts von Grafenberg widmet. Insbesondere die postkoloniale Theorie Homi Bhabhas eröffnet in diesem Rahmen Möglichkeiten für die Entwicklung und Spezifizierung eines transkulturellen Heldenkonzepts im Zeichnen von Hybridität und Liminalität. Welche Formen der Hybridisierung weisen die Figuren, ihre Wege und Kämpfe auf? Welche narrativen Ebenen sind betroffen und wie gestalten sich konfligierende Verflechtungs- und Überschreibungsprozesse? Inwiefern lassen sich dadurch narrative und diskursive Kontaktzonen volkssprachlichen Erzählens rekonstruieren und welche Rolle spielen transkulturelle Verflechtungen in der vormodernen Erzählkunst? Ziel des Beitrags ist nicht zuletzt eine transhistorische und transkulturelle Öffnung mediävistisch-komparatistischer Literaturwissenschaft ebenso wie postmoderner Theoriebildungen im Sinne vielfältigen durchaus konfliktgeladenen interdisziplinären und gesellschaftlichen Austauschs

an industrial E. coli case study

The authors thank Chi Chung (Tim) Choi and Paul Rice for their collaboration in batch production and performing off-line sample analysis and Carl Hémond for providing the RP-HPLC assay and results. The authors thank Paul Rice also for critical reading of the manuscript. © Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Process understanding is emphasized in the process analytical technology initiative and the quality by design paradigm to be essential for manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products with consistent high quality. A typical approach to developing a process understanding is applying a combination of design of experiments with statistical data analysis. Hybrid semi-parametric modeling is investigated as an alternative method to pure statistical data analysis. The hybrid model framework provides flexibility to select model complexity based on available data and knowledge. Here, a parametric dynamic bioreactor model is integrated with a nonparametric artificial neural network that describes biomass and product formation rates as function of varied fed-batch fermentation conditions for high cell density heterologous protein production with E. coli. Our model can accurately describe biomass growth and product formation across variations in induction temperature, pH and feed rates. The model indicates that while product expression rate is a function of early induction phase conditions, it is negatively impacted as productivity increases. This could correspond with physiological changes due to cytoplasmic product accumulation. Due to the dynamic nature of the model, rational process timing decisions can be made and the impact of temporal variations in process parameters on product formation and process performance can be assessed, which is central for process understanding.publishersversionpublishe

Complementarity As Generative Principle: A Thought Pattern for Aesthetic Appreciations and Cognitive Appraisals in General

In experimental aesthetics the relationship between the arts and cognitive neuroscience has gained particular interest in recent years. But has cognitive neuroscience indeed something to offer when studying the arts? Here we present a theoretical frame within which the concept of complementarity as a generative or creative principle is proposed; neurocognitive processes are characterized by the duality of complementary activities like bottom-up and top-down control, or logistical functions like temporal control and content functions like perceptions in the neural machinery. On that basis a thought pattern is suggested for aesthetic appreciations and cognitive appraisals in general. This thought pattern is deeply rooted in the history of philosophy and art theory since antiquity; and complementarity also characterizes neural operations as basis for cognitive processes. We then discuss some challenges one is confronted with in experimental aesthetics; in our opinion, one serious problem is the lack of a taxonomy of functions in psychology and neuroscience which is generally accepted. This deficit makes it next to impossible to develop acceptable models which are similar to what has to be modeled. Another problem is the severe language bias in this field of research as knowledge gained in many languages over the ages remains inaccessible to most scientists. Thus, an inspection of research results or theoretical concepts is necessarily too narrow. In spite of these limitations we provide a selective summary of some results and viewpoints with a focus on visual art and its appreciation. It is described how questions of art and aesthetic appreciations using behavioral methods and in particular brain-imaging techniques are analyzed and evaluated focusing on such issues like the representation of artwork or affective experiences. Finally, we emphasize complementarity as a generative principle on a practical level when artists and scientists work directly together which can lead to new insights and broader perspectives on both sides