Apparent Tension Research Articles

Petrus und der singende Hahn: Eine zeitgeschichtliche Anspielung in der markinischen Verleugnungsperikope (Mk 14,54.66–72)

Abstract: A growing strand of scholarship assumes that Mark’s account of Peter’s denial should be understood within the context of the Neronian persecution. This paper strengthens this view by arguing that the cock whose crow reminds Peter of Jesus’ words is a hidden reference to Nero. Evidence comes from Suetonius, who testifies that a cock was indeed used as a derisive metaphor for Nero and alluded to his self-representation as an Apollo-like artist. The apparent tension between three denials and only two cock-crows in Mark 14,72 can then be taken as a proleptic allusion to a third “cock-crow”, i. e. to the Neronian persecution when Peter ultimately confessed his belonging to the disciples of Jesus instead of denying it. He is thus portrayed as a positive role model for those in the Marcan community who failed to remain steadfast during the persecution.

Effect of trace lanthanum hexaboride and boron additions on microstructure, tensile properties and anisotropy of Ti-6Al-4V produced by additive manufacturing

In this work trace lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) and elemental boron are alloyed with Ti-6Al-4V and their effects on the microstructure, tensile properties (including anisotropy) and melt pool shape during Additive Manufacturing (AM) are investigated. During the melting process, the LaB6 scavenges oxygen and decomposes into La2O3 and TiB. The presence of the rare earth element drastically changes the apparent surface tension and shape of the deposited layers. This is attributed to the Heiple-Roper effect and could have benefits during AM in producing components with unsupported overhangs. The formation of eutectic TiB during the final stages of solidification results in highly directional TiB needles in between columnar grains that are aligned with the build direction. The slow cooling rate during deposition of approximately 90–100 °C s−1 produces very large TiB particles which can exceed 50 µm in length. Although improving strength by up to 10%, under tensile stress the high aspect ratio TiB particles are sites for crack opening which leads to a decline in ductility in the longitudinal test direction and a corresponding increase in anisotropy over unmodified Ti-6Al-4V.

Paradoxes of Visibility

Abstract Identification documents are essential for the recognition of individuals within the nation-state. By denying trans people the right to change the M or the F on these documents, governments perpetuate perceptions of trans people as frauds and of trans bodies as fake. Examining both legal examples and ethnographic data, the article calls attention to the current attempts to formulate a national gender identity law in Guatemala. Doing so, we discuss trans visibility as contentious. Because of the need for social inclusion, including access to services, trans activist organizations work to make trans people visible within the nation-state. At the same time, changing the sex marker on their identification documents could make trans populations more vulnerable to surveillance. Therefore, trans activists seek to ensure that trans individuals' status and history as transgender is rendered invisible in these legal name and sex changes. The article argues that the apparent tension between visibility and invisibility, made evident in the process of drafting the gender identity law, can be understood only in the context of local trans discourses that aim to claim inclusion in normative gender categories through renegotiating the meaning of men and women.

The Laruellean Clinamen: François Laruelle and French Atomism

According to Francois Laruelle, French thought has been unduly influenced by corpuscular or atomist thinking, yet Laruelle has himself employed key atomist terms—in particular, that of the clinamen or swerve—in framing his own style of thought. This essay looks at this tension between atomism and anti-atomism in Laruelle’s thought, taking the measure of his contribution to a larger stream of postwar French thinking about the relevance and stakes of ancient atomism. Its contention is that Laruelle subtly but really outlines a quantum theoretical resumption of ancient atomist philosophy—one that deserves closer attention and comparative study in the larger context of French philosophical interest in the atomists. A first section of the paper briefly describes Laruelle’s general project, along with his claim that he differs from his contemporaries because he uniquely escapes the dangers of what he calls corpuscular thought. A second section addresses the apparent tension between Laruelle’s claim to produce a non-corpuscular thinking and his consistent recent use of the atomist image of the clinamen, ultimately arguing that Laruelle sides with the clinamen against two forms of corpuscularity supposedly avoided by the clinamen itself but nonetheless usefully embodied in atomist thought. The final section of the paper draws up in preliminary terms a comparison between Laruelle’s understanding of his relationship to atomism and that of his contemporaries, focusing in particular on Alain Badiou.

Criminal Attempts and the Penal Lottery

ABSTRACTIn most penal systems, success is punished more than failure. For example, murder is punished more severely than attempted murder. But success or failure is often determined by luck. It thus appears that punishment is allotted on the basis of arbitrary factors. The problem of criminal attempts is the question of how to best resolve this apparent tension. One particularly sophisticated attempt at resolution, first developed by David Lewis, holds that such differential punishment is not unjust when understood as a natural penal lottery. What is most interesting about this view is that it does not appear to involve a commitment to resultant moral luck. I argue that the natural penal lottery fails to deliver justice. Upon analysis, it carries the same implication that it sought to avoid—namely, a commitment to resultant moral luck. I then argue that there can be, in principle, no penal lottery that delivers justice, natural or otherwise.

Charismatic Authority and Democratic Legitimation

Almost all political regimes today claim to be democratic, whatever their actual structure. Yet the rhetorical and normative triumph of democracy as an ideal has not prevented the recurrent emergence of claims to authority alongside with, and undermining, the claims of the more abstract institutions of constitutional government, in accordance with impartial, impersonal, and general rules and procedures. And despite the apparent tension between leadership and the rule of the people, such charismatic or personal claims to authority have not always been thought to be in conflict with democracy. In this paper, I argue that the apparent compatibility of and democracy emerges from the fact that authority depends on a form of representation. I illustrate this claim by showing that in the early 20th century (a period marked by a proliferation of claims to authority), many ideologically very diverse writers -- from communists to fascists -- converged on a theory of charisma as representation that could accommodate claims while accepting democratic justifications for authority. Though most of these attempts are no longer credible today, 20th century attempts to construct theories of charisma as representation indicate both the sources of the recurring appeal of authority and modes of political justification and the dangers of attempting to appropriate for democracy.

Rights and religion; bias and beliefs: Can a judge speak God?

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 guarantees everyone the right to freedom of expression and religion. The Constitution also places the power to resolve disputes impartially in the judiciary. The requirement that judges be impartial may, in some circumstances, mean that a judge’s beliefs or convictions may appear to be in conflict with one or more constitutional principles. This article analyses the relationship and apparent tension between a judge’s duty to apply the law in a fair and impartial manner and his/her own personal right to freedom of religion. More specifically, it examines the extent to which a judge may allow his/her religious beliefs to influence his judgment. It argues that judges, like all other citizens, do not surrender their rights to freedom of expression and religion when they are appointed to the bench, and that a judge who publicly expresses his religious beliefs should not be, ipso facto, without more ado, criticised for it.

Foreground gesture, background gesture

Abstract Do speakers intend their gestures to communicate? Central as this question is to the study of gesture, researchers cannot seem to agree on the answer. According to one common framing, gestures are an “unwitting” window into the mind (McNeill, 1992); but, according to another common framing, they are designed along with speech to form “composite utterances” (Enfield, 2009). These two framings correspond to two cultures within gesture studies – the first cognitive and the second interactive in orientation – and they appear to make incompatible claims. In this article I attempt to bridge the cultures by developing a distinction between foreground gestures and background gestures. Foreground gestures are designed in their particulars to communicate a critical part of the speaker’s message; background gestures are not designed in this way. These are two fundamentally different kinds of gesture, not two different ways of framing the same monolithic behavior. Foreground gestures can often be identified by one or more of the following hallmarks: they are produced along with demonstratives; they are produced in the absence of speech; they are co-organized with speaker gaze; and they are produced with conspicuous effort. The distinction between foreground and background gestures helps dissolve the apparent tension between the two cultures: interactional researchers have focused on foreground gestures and elevated them to the status of a prototype, whereas cognitive researchers have done the same with background gestures. The distinction also generates a number of testable predictions about gesture production and understanding, and it opens up new lines of inquiry into gesture across child development and across cultures.

The temporal and the temporary. Time, collaboration and architecture in post-quake Christchurch

<p>This paper will look at an apparent tension between master plans that envision cities as finished objects and temporary projects that form in response to more immediate issues and concerns. In the five years since the large earthquake that struck Christchurch on February 22, 2011, a huge array of interventions, planning decisions, and design proposals have been made -affecting the lives of thousands of people and costing many billions of dollars. These actions are almost always separated into temporal categories of the short-term and the long-term; temporary and the permanent. In this categorisation there is a strange paradox in which the more concrete short-term actions are characterised as ephemeral and the paper ideas of the long-term more real. <br />The relationship between two forms is complex. Temporary and permanent forms of city-making can be complementary or in conflict - and sometimes both at the same time. Temporary projects can act as stepping-stones to a “finished” city, they can subvert and undermine the long-term plans, and they can support some aspects while undermining others.<br />The creation of a master plan in Christchurch – 18 months after the earthquakes – will be compared and contrasted with the making of a large temporary project called the Pallet Pavilion. Notions of <em>public engagement strategies</em>, <em>finishing</em>, and <em>risk management</em> will be articulated and used to illustrate how different the modes of temporary and permanent design operate in relation to the construction of the contemporary city.<br />Concepts from actor network theory will be used to describe the temporary and permanent forms of city-making and different associate types of collaboration. It is argued that the conception and planning of a new city and the design and construction of temporary amenities produce different experiences of time, and different forms of temporality. The authors are PhD candidates researching the role of temporary architecture in contemporary urban settings - this paper reflects on research findings from post-quake Christchurch.</p>

The Truth About Honesty

This article examines the ethics of honesty and deception in public administration. Building on previous research showing that public administrators rank honesty as an essential public service value but also sometimes use deception while carrying out their duties, semi-structured interviews with public employees were conducted to explore this apparent tension. Specifically, this study asks: Why is honesty important for public administrators? What is honesty and dishonesty? Under what circumstances is the use of deception by public administrators legitimate? The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Code of Ethics is used as an analytical framework to assess the cases and examples provided by participants. The article concludes with a discussion of some important implications that this research has for public administration practice, teaching, and research.

A new astrophysical solution to the Too Big To Fail problem

We test whether advanced galaxy models and analysis techniques of simulations can alleviate the Too Big To Fail problem (TBTF) for late-type galaxies, which states that isolated dwarf galaxy kinematics imply that dwarfs live in lower-mass halos than is expected in a {\Lambda}CDM universe. Furthermore, we want to explain this apparent tension between theory and observations. To do this, we use the MoRIA suite of dwarf galaxy simulations to investigate whether observational effects are involved in TBTF for late-type field dwarf galaxies. To this end, we create synthetic radio data cubes of the simulated MoRIA galaxies and analyse their HI kinematics as if they were real, observed galaxies. We find that for low-mass galaxies, the circular velocity profile inferred from the HI kinematics often underestimates the true circular velocity profile, as derived directly from the enclosed mass. Fitting the HI kinematics of MoRIA dwarfs with a theoretical halo profile results in a systematic underestimate of the mass of their host halos. We attribute this effect to the fact that the interstellar medium of a low-mass late-type dwarf is continuously stirred by supernova explosions into a vertically puffed-up, turbulent state to the extent that the rotation velocity of the gas is simply no longer a good tracer of the underlying gravitational force field. If this holds true for real dwarf galaxies as well, it implies that they inhabit more massive dark matter halos than would be inferred from their kinematics, solving TBTF for late-type field dwarf galaxies.

Cellular bioink surface tension: A tunable biophysical parameter for faster maturation of bioprinted tissue

Bioprinting provides an exceptional platform for tissue engineers to deposit cells onto substrates with precision, and to construct three-dimensional (3D) biological structures such as tissues and organs. In extrusion bioprinting of cells, cellular bioink particles in the form of multicellular systems are printed on supportive materials such as agarose. Post-printing and before implantation, the 3D biological structure undergoes a complex maturation process governed by both biological and physical mechanisms. Controlling the maturation time to expedite the regeneration of human tissues remains challenging. Herein, we provide evidence that the fusion of cellular bioink (a critical step in tissue maturation) can be accelerated by higher apparent tissue surface tension (ATST) of the cellular bioink particles. Two different preparation methods, namely the egg holder aggregate maker and cylindrical aggregate fabrication, were used to fabricate cellular bioink of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. Each method produced distinct ATSTs from aggregates of the same cell type. The characteristic fusion times for CHO aggregates with 14.71 dyne/cm and 22.8 dyne/cm were found 181.95h and 93.15h respectively. The same trend was observed for HSF as aggregates with a higher surface tension fused faster. Therefore, controlling tissue fusion can be achieved through adjusting the ATST of bioprinted spheroids via our fabrication method. This is an essential initial step towards engineering tissues of defined anatomical and histological structures.

Certainty and Explanation in Descartes’s Philosophy of Science

This article presents a new approach to resolving an apparent tension in Descartes’s discussion of scientific theories and explanations in the Principles of Philosophy. On the one hand, Descartes repeatedly claims that all theories presented in science must be certain and indubitable. On the other hand, Descartes himself presents an astonishing number of speculative explanations of various scientific phenomena. In response to this tension, commentators have suggested that Descartes changed his mind about scientific theories having to be certain and indubitable, that he lacked the conceptual resources to describe the appropriate epistemic attitude toward speculative theories, or that the presence of geometrical principles in these explanations guarantees their certainty. I argue that none of these responses are satisfactory and suggest a different resolution to the tension by examining Descartes’s notion of explanation. On Descartes’s view, providing an adequate explanation does not require being certain o...

Jürgen Habermas and the equiprimordial relationship between human rights and popular sovereignty

Os direitos humanos e a soberania popular – respectivamente, autonomia privada e a autonomia pública, em uma outra terminologia – formam a base normativa da compreensão moderna de democracia. Na obra Direito e Democracia, Habermas busca fundamentar um sistema de direitos capaz de abarcar as categorias referentes aos direitos fundamentais que comporiam uma constituição democrática. Trata-se do conjunto de direitos que os cidadãos devem atribuir-se mutuamente com vistas à auto-organização jurídica de sua própria comunidade política. Neste empreendimento, Habermas buscará demonstrar que a aparente tensão entre os direitos humanos, garantidores de liberdades subjetivas, e a soberania popular, entendida como a autolegislação coletiva de uma comunidade política, é desfeita quando se busca compreender a democracia a partir de uma teoria discursiva da formação da opinião e da vontade políticas

Shifting Gears: Academia, Parenthood and the Work Life Interface (WITHDRAWN)

Academia is a revelatory case of a highly skilled and flexible profession, featuring high permeability and high integration between work and family roles. In this paper, we inductively examine how academics with children experience, perceive and explain their work family interface choices, and how they make sense of their experiences. Without making an apriori assumption of differences between fathers and mothers, we explore respondents’ perceptions, strategies, objectives and preoccupations as parent academics. In reporting the preliminary results of this study, we focus on self-reflections about the work life interface in the academic profession, and about the apparent tension between self-motivation, ambition and fatigue

Free Speech and Learning from Difference

In debates about campus speech, there are arguments from the left and from the right that the community function of a college and the intellectual functions of a college can’t both be maximized. Improving the community role necessarily entails placing limits on the intellectual roles, and improving the intellectual role necessarily entails placing limits on the community roles. Where these arguments disagree is in the valuation of the tradeoffs between these roles. I argue that the apparent tension between the community role and intellectual role of colleges can be resolved, or at least mitigated, if we make a clearer distinction between speech and community endorsement of speech. What’s more, if we understand speech to be exploratory in nature rather than declaratory, we may remove some of the status competition between different groups that characterizes the dispute. This can allow for potential complementarities to emerge from the community support role of a college and the intellectual role. The core idea that I wish to explore is the notion of discovery that is embedded in Mill’s defense of free speech and in his conception of experiments in living. This approach depends on the idea that we can abandon the goal of defeating our opponents, and instead embrace the goal of accommodating one another.

University language policies in Estonia and Sweden: exploring the interplay between English and national languages in higher education

ABSTRACTAs universities seek to become more international, their need to engage with a wider range of languages, particularly English, seems more prominent. At the same time, universities are also regarded by many stakeholders as key institutions to preserve a given national language and culture. This apparent tension makes universities a fruitful ground to explore relevant issues of language policymaking. This paper analyses language policies in higher education in two northern European countries, Sweden and Estonia. Applying qualitative content analytical tools, we tackle the following questions: (1) what major themes emerge from the analysis of institutional language policy documents in Estonia and Sweden? and (2) how is English perceived in relation to other languages? Our analysis shows that, despite their different historical and sociopolitical trajectories, universities in the two countries tend to adopt similar stances vis-à-vis their language policy developments. There also exist, however, different nuances in approaching the language question, which we interpret as being the result of the particular cultural backgrounds of each country.

Apparent Interfacial Tension Effects in Protein Stabilized Emulsions Prepared with Microstructured Systems.

Proteins are mostly used to stabilize food emulsions; however, production of protein containing emulsions is notoriously difficult to capture in scaling relations due to the complex behavior of proteins in interfaces, in combination with the dynamic nature of the emulsification process. Here, we investigate premix membrane emulsification and use the Ohnesorge number to derive a scaling relation for emulsions prepared with whey protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and a standard emulsifier Tween 20, at various concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, 1.25% and 2%). In the Ohnesorge number, viscous, inertia, and interfacial tension forces are captured, and most of the parameters can be measured with great accuracy, with the exception of the interfacial tension. We used microfluidic Y-junctions to estimate the apparent interfacial tension at throughputs comparable to those in premix emulsification, and found a unifying relation. We next used this relation to plot the Ohnesorge number versus P-ratio defined as the applied pressure over the Laplace pressure of the premix droplet. The measured values all showed a decreasing Ohnesorge number at increasing P-ratio; the differences between regular surfactants and proteins being systematic. The surfactants were more efficient in droplet size reduction, and it is expected that the differences were caused by the complex behavior of proteins in the interface (visco-elastic film formation). The differences between BSA and whey protein were relatively small, and their behavior coincided with that of low Tween concentration (0.1%), which deviated from the behavior at higher concentrations.

Functional individuation, mechanistic implementation: the proper way of seeing the mechanistic view of concrete computation

I examine a major objection to the mechanistic view of concrete computation, stemming from an apparent tension between the abstract nature of computational explanation and the tenets of the mechanistic framework: while computational explanation is medium-independent, the mechanistic framework insists on the importance of providing some degree of structural detail about the systems target of the explanation. I show that a common reply to the objection, i.e. that mechanistic explanation of computational systems involves only weak structural constraints, is not enough to save the standard mechanistic view of computation—it trivialises the appeal to mechanism, and thus makes the account collapse into a purely functional view. I claim, however, that the objection can be put to rest once the account is appropriately amended: computational individuation is indeed functional, while mechanistic explanation plays a role in accounting for computational implementation. Since individuation and implementation are crucial elements in a satisfying account of computation in physical systems, mechanism keeps its central importance in the theory of concrete computation. Finally, I argue that my version of the mechanistic view helps to provide a convincing reply to a powerful objection against non-semantic theories of concrete computation: the argument from the multiplicity of computations.

Is There Really A Puzzle Over Negative Emotions And Aesthetic Pleasure?

Two seemingly contradictory aspects have marked art’s appreciation – and aesthetic appreciation in general. While an experience of pleasure seems to ground judgments of aesthetic value, some artworks seem to gain our praise by the very negative – unpleasant – experience they provoke. Known as the paradox of negative emotions, aestheticians have, at least since Aristotle, tried to deal with these cases and offer different explanations of the phenomenon. In this article, María José Alcaraz León does not directly offer an alternative explanation; rather she focuses on the apparent tension between an understanding of aesthetic experience in terms of a certain kind of pleasure and the negative aspect that is necessarily involved in our appreciation of painful art. The purpose of her article is to show that cases of artistic appreciation that involve negative emotions do not need to give up on the idea that aesthetic value is ultimately grounded upon an experience of pleasure.