Success Through Failure: Luke’s Paradoxical View of the Christian Mission to the Jews

The present article sets out to analyze Luke’s view of the Christian mission to the Jews. Specific attention is paid to the question of whether in any sense this mission may be considered as being successful or it may be regarded as having a future. A key distinction is introduced between Luke’s representation of the Christian mission to the Jews and his interpretation of it. Thus, the first section looks primarily at how Luke represents the Jewish response to the mission, while the second section explores the way in which he interprets this response. The conclusion of the study is that Luke’s concern is neither to show that the mission to the Jews has failed because of a negative response, nor that it has succeeded because of a positive response, but rather that it has achieved its goal and it has a future despite a predominantly negative response

Symbols of Conflict and Hope: An Introductory Analysis of the Symbolism of Daniel and Revelation

The present article offers an analysis of the use of symbolism in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Thus, the first section of the study evaluates the degree of thematic unity which may be said to exist between the two books (given their common literary genre). Secondly, the article explores the different roles which symbolism plays within the two books. Finally, a concluding section brings together the findings of the study, indicating that despite the complex symbolism of Daniel and Revelation, it is plausible to speak of these books (individually and together) as having a unifying message which could be described as the victory of good over evil or, more precisely, the sovereignty of God in a world where evil seems to prevail. At the same time, this unifying message can take a wide variety of distinctive meanings for specific groups and for specific settings

Efficient IPv6 Neighbor Discovery in Wireless Environment

As the address space of IPv4 is being depleted with the development of IoT (Internet Of Things), there is an increasing need for permanent transition to the IPv6 protocol as soon as possible. Nowadays, many 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Networks have implemented or will implement IPv6 in the near future for Internet access. These networks will also use NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol), which is the IPv6 tailored version of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol). The protocol is responsible for address auto-configuration, maintaining lists of all neighbors connected to a network, verifying if they are still reachable, managing prefixes and duplicate address detection. The protocol is defined in RFC 4861 and although it works fine for wired connected devices, it has been proven highly inefficient in terms of battery lifetime saving, when wireless networks came to the market and its use increased tremendously. This thesis work is a continuation of a previous master thesis and complements the work done previously by showing how the solutions suggested in the new draft can be implemented at the router and host side and practically confirms the previous results of the theoretical analysis through simulation scenarios of sleep and wake-up of the nodes, performed in OMNeT++. Subsequently, the scalability of the system as a whole was analyzed with a simulation model containing a range of hosts from 1 to 100, and shows it can operate efficiently on a larger scale, reducing multicast messaging by almost 100%, presumably saving their battery power.The introduction and rise of Internet of Things (IoT), and the use of more and more wireless devices in the communication between users, has depleted the available addresses of IPv4. The introduction of the new IPv6 protocol solves the address depletion problem, but on the other hand, many of the existing protocols have to be redesigned. This thesis is based on RFC 4861’s NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol for IPv6 Networks, the equivalent protocol of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) for IPv4 Networks. Like ARP, NDP is used in all Networks, wired or wireless, and it’s main feature is to check and update periodically the state of the Network, provide L2 addresses to hosts in the same Network and verify their reachability. While wired devices experience no issues regarding power supply, as they are constantly hooked to a power source and rarely experience network failures, wireless devices have limited power, as they rely on battery lifetime. This is also the case of machines running NDP - the protocol relies on periodic exchange of multicast ICMPv6 (Internet Control Message Protocol version 6) control messages, creating unnecessary traffic overhead in the Network, as all hosts in a Network would receive those messages, regardless if they are meant for them or not. As a general working mode of a battery operated device, one enters predefined sleeping cycles (stand-by), which are designed by each manufacturer in different ways. Therefore, multicast signaling inside Networks disrupt those sleeping cycles, causing increased battery consumption, as a result of more required processing power and more consumed bandwidth. RFC 6775, together with [3], propose updates to NDP, which would solve the problems mentioned above. The major update is that each host can update the router about its state, by sending unicast messages, without involving the other hosts in the Network. The router, instead of sending periodic control messages to every host, it sends control messages to each host separately in specific time intervals. Only when a major change occurs in the Network, for instance an addition of a new host, or when a host leaves the Network, multicast messages are sent to every host to update their state. Together with the establishment of unicast signaling, a new method of address registration is introduced in the documents cited above, called Address Registration Option. This registration method is fully compatible with the two standard mechanism which provide the L3 addresses to hosts - Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The previous thesis work took the first steps in implementing the proposed protocol changes, by investigating functions inside RADVD - the Router Advertisement Daemon, run on all routers and responsible for sending the multicast periodic control messages to the hosts (Router Advertisements). A full implementation of the proposed changes require covering both sides of the Network, i.e Host and Router. While RADVD is handling the Router side, the implementation at the Host side needs to be done inside the Linux Kernel. In this thesis work, the RADVD implementation was completed and possible implementation methods were shown inside the Linux Kernel. Due to the overall complexity of the Linux Kernel, while the proposed code could cover most aspects from RFC 6775, it wasn’t possible to test it, in order to conclude how much workload is left. Simulations took place to compare the two protocols and verify, in what extend these proposed changes can potentially improve battery lifetime. So, sleep and wake up scenario was tested in same time intervals in order to observe Network traffic. The goal was to have a decrease in control messages in the case where the suggested changes were applied. Different number of hosts were selected to see if these changes can be applied to larger network. In both cases, the best case scenario was tested and parameters which would normally hinder network performance were neglected. This decision was made to reduce the complexity of the Network as well. The results of the simulations indicated that there could be a decrease in control messages and the Network seems stable and scalable as number of host increases

ENERGY PLANTS ALTERNATIVE TO FUTURE BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

Replacing fossil fuels with alternative renewable energy sources is a very current issue worldwide. The development of energy plant (lingo-cellulosic) crops represents the promising solution, for the future production of biofuels in order to produce renewable energy and replace fossil fuels. For the implementation of energy crops were elaborated a series of technologies and technical equipment that respond to the requirements of these crops. The paper addresses these technologies, technical equipment and technologies for valorizing energy crops

Enlèvement du phosphore d'un effluent primaire par scories d'aciéries

RÉSUMÉ La technologie des filtres à scories pour le traitement du phosphore a été utilisée avec les eaux usées municipales de St-Roch de L’Achigan. L'installation pilote était formée par trois filières de traitement indépendantes alimentées par les eaux brutes, décantées préalablement dans une fosse septique. La première filière était composée de trois colonnes à scories en série, la deuxième filière était formée par cinq barils remplis de scories et la dernière filière de traitement était composée de deux barils à scories lavées. Le système de colonnes a une longévité de 27 jours, pendant laquelle la concentration de o-PO4 à la sortie était inférieure à 0.36 mg-P/L. La colonne la plus performante était la colonne 2 chargée de scories de 5 – 10 mm. Le taux d’enlèvement était de 70 mg-P/kg scorie pendant sa durée de vie.----------ABSTRACT The technology of reactive filters using slag for phosphorus treatment has been used to treat the municipal wastewater of St-Roch-de-L'Achigan. The pilot plant was formed by three independent treatment trains fed by raw water, previously decanted into a septic tank. The first train consisted of three columns filled with slag. The second train was formed by five barrels filled with slag. Two barrels of washed slag formed the last treatment train. The column system has a longevity of 27 days. During this period, the concentration of o-PO4 at the outlet was less than 0.36 mg-P / L. The best performing column was the column 2, loaded with 5 - 10 mm slag. The removal rate was 70 mg-P / kg slag during its life time

Simboli sukoba i nade: uvodna analiza simbolizma iz knjiga Daniel i Otkrivenje

Ovaj članak donosi analizu upotrebe simbola u knjigama Daniel i Otkrivenje. Prvi dio studije procjenjuje razinu tematskog jedinstva, za koje se može reći da postoji između dvije knjige (s obzirom na njihov zajednički književni žanr). U drugom dijelu članka istražuju se različite uloge koje simbolizam igra u ove dvije knjige. Konačno, završni dijelovi ujedinjuju nalaze istraživanja, ukazujući na to kako je, unatoč složenom simbolizmu u knjigama Daniela i Otkrivenja, moguće o njima govoriti (pojedinačno i skupno) kao o knjigama koje imaju jedinstvenu poruku koja bi se mogla opisati kao pobjeda dobra nad zlom, ili točnije, kao suverenost Boga u svijetu u kojem izgleda da prevladava zlo. Istodobno, ta jedinstvena poruka može za određene skupine i okruženja poprimiti širok raspon posebnih značenja

Biochemical and Mechanical Investigation of Cardiac Titin Isoforms

SUMMARY Background: Titin is a giant elastic protein of muscle sarcomeres. Titin molecules link the Z-disk with the M-line and have structural, elastic and signaling functions in myocytes. The primary structure determination of several titin isoforms and the mechanical characterization of different muscle tissues revealed that titin elasticity depends on the differential splicing of the titin spring region consisting of immunoglobulin-like domains, a so-called PEVK domain and larger unique sequence insertions like N2-B. The molecular weight of a titin isoform is correlated with its mechanical, spring-like properties: the smaller the isoform, the stiffer the spring. Heart muscles of mammalian organisms co-express two major classes of titin isoforms: the stiff N2B-titin and the compliant N2BA-titin. Sarcomeric stiffness is tuned by altering the expression ratio of N2BA:N2B titins, whereas the amount of total titin in a sarcomere likely is constant owing to stoichiometric constraints. Objectives of the study: 1) To determine the patterns of titin isoform expression in different muscle tissues using MDa-range high-resolution gel electrophoresis and Western blotting; 2) To understand the functional significance of the expression of various cardiac titin isoforms; 3) To look for variations in cardiac titin expression in diseased myocardium; 4) To establish conditions/factors determining different expression patterns of cardiac titin; 5) To understand consequences of pathological changes in titin protein expression for the heart. Methods and Results: N2BA to N2B titin isoform ratio was determined by loose-gel electrophoresis. The titin isoform ratio differed between: 1) Hearts from different mammalian species; 2) Various regions of the same heart; 3) Diseased and normal human hearts. Western blotting using sequence assigned anti-titin antibodies confirmed the identity of the titin bands. The N2BA proportion varied from ~5% in rat left ventricle to almost 70% in cow right ventricle. The N2BA:N2B ratio was generally higher in the right ventricle than in the corresponding plane of the left ventricle and decreased from the base to the apex of a given heart (assessed in goat and rabbit). Titin isoform expression was altered under disease conditions: human heart transplants due to coronary artery disease (CAD) exhibited an average N2BA:N2B ratio of 47:53, whereas normal donor hearts had a ratio of ~30:70. Increased expression of larger N2BA titin isoforms was also seen in failing myocardium of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients. Coexpression of N2BA-titin and N2B-titin in a sarcomere was demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy. A regular cross-striated staining pattern for titin on tissue sections of CAD-transplant hearts indicated uniform changes of titin expression instead of titin structural damage. The functional relevance of the observed changes in titin isoform expression was estimated in mechanical experiments on isolated myofibrils from human hearts. Diseased (CAD, DCM) human myofibrils expressing elevated N2BA proportions had lowered passive stiffness compared to non-failing human myofibrils. Thus, sarcomeres can modify their passive tension by adjusting the N2BA:N2B titin expression ratio. Failing human hearts, even if they are globally stiffened (collagen upregulated), have more compliant myofibrils than normal donor human hearts. Titin isoform switching was also studied in a rat model of myocardial infarction (ligature of left anterior descending coronary artery). Titin gels showed that 43% of diseased hearts displayed a distinct N2BA-titin band, compared to only 14% of the hearts of sham-operated control rats, suggesting an isoform switch had occurred in this heart failure model. Conclusions: An improved titin detection method by modified 2% SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of multiple titin isoforms in different tissues. Results established that the elastic diversity of titin is altered in human heart disease and during development. The shift towards expression of more compliant titin isoforms in human heart failure alters mechanical properties of the cardiomyocytes, in particular the passive stiffness. The disease-induced shift in titin isoform ratio may also impair active contraction, e.g. by interfering with the ability of the heart to use the Frank-Starling mechanism

Uspjeh kroz neuspjeh: Lukin paradoksalni pogled na kršćansko poslanje Židovima

U ovom se članku analizira Lukino viđenje kršćanskog poslanja Židovima. Posebna se pozornost posvećuje pitanju može li se u bilo kojem smislu to poslanje smatrati uspješnim te treba li ga nastaviti u budućnosti. Predstavlja se ključna razlika između Lukina prikaza kršćanskog poslanja Židovima te Lukina tumačenja toga poslanja. Stoga se prvi dio članka prije svega bavi pitanjem kako Luka prikazuje reakciju Židova na kršćansko poslanje, dok se u drugom dijelu istražuje način na koji Luka tumači njihovu reakciju. Zaključak ove studije jest da Lukina namjera nije bila pokazati da je poslanje Židovima bilo neuspješno zbog njihove negativne reakcije, kao ni da je bilo uspješno zbog njihove pozitivne reakcije, već da je ono postiglo svoj cilj i ima svoju budućnost, unatoč pretežno negativnoj reakciji Židova

Theranostic Nanoparticles and Their Spectrum in Cancer

Nanoparticles offer a lot of advantageous backgrounds for many applications due to their physical, chemical and biological properties. Their different composition (metals, lipids, polymers, peptides) and shapes (spheres, rods, pyramids, flowers and so on) are influenced by the synthesis methods and functionalization procedures. However, in the medical field, researchers focus on the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the nanoparticles in their attempts for a targeted therapy in which the nanocarriers need to bypass certain biological barriers. Moreover, the increased interest in molecular imaging has brought nanoparticles in the spotlight for their applications in two distinct directions: therapy and diagnosis. Furthermore, recent advances in nanoparticle designs have introduced novel nano-objects suitable as both detection and delivery systems at the same time, thus providing theranostic applications