Exclusive Position Research Articles

Can Palamism Be Accommodated to the Western Theological Tradition? A Few Considerations on “The Real Problem”

Can Palamism Be Accommodated to the Western Theological Tradition? A Few Considerations on “The Real Problem” Antoine Lévy O.P. SCHOLARSHIP ON Gregory Palamas and Palamism often gives the impression that dismissing Western theology is the price that has to be paid in order to acknowledge the genius of the Orthodox tradition. One should therefore wholeheartedly welcome a book that has the explicit intention of bringing the teachings of Palamas one step closer to the Western Christian universe. From this point of view, one must salute Norman Russell’s approach in Gregory Palamas and the Making of Palamism in the Modern Age.1 As the author goes in search of a “real Palamas” hidden behind denominational controversies, he scrutinizes a considerable amount of scholarship for the benefit of nonspecialists. Readers will find an abundance—sometimes an overabundance—of observations related to known but also to much less well-researched elements of historiography on Palamas and Palamism. The courage of an attempt at such a vast synthesis certainly deserves commendation. This does not mean that the results of this attempt are immune to criticism. As I set forth my reservations in the pages that follow, my hope is that this critical analysis of Russell’s book will eventually shed some more light on an ancient but still unsolved theological issue. [End Page 625] The argument of Russell’s book could be roughly summarized as follows: modern historiography on Palamism has presented Palamas’s doctrine as incompatible with Western—mostly Catholic—theological tradition on biased ecclesiological grounds; actually, when examined in itself, this doctrine has much to offer that could be integrated into the Western theological tradition and enrich it. In the first part of the book, “The Historical Reception of Palamite Theology,” Russell recounts— or “deconstructs,” as it is no longer fashionable to say—the steps that have given the Palamite controversy its current configuration. In the second part of the book, “Raising the Larger Questions,” the author delves into the texts of Palamas himself, explaining them in the light of the controversies of the time, as he goes in search of a “real Palamas” who would be more acceptable to the Western theological tradition. Russell’s narrative of Palamas’s Rezeptionsgeschichte consists of three moments. (1) After the definitive vindication of Palamas’s theology in Byzantium (Tomos of 1368), a long period of almost complete silence ensued, neither Orthodox nor Catholic theologians showing themselves keen on reading his works and discussing their content. (2) The “problem” was revived by Martin Jugie in his articles on Palamas and Palamism for the Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, but it was instrumentalized because of considerations pertaining to Church politics. Jugie’s desire to see the “Greeks” come back into the Catholic fold “made” Palamism into a theology incompatible with the Western tradition, identified with the vessel of Truth. On the opposite side, Orthodox theologians such as Vladimir Lossky and John Meyendorff built on Jugie’s conclusions, arguing that this incompatibility proved the superiority of the Orthodox tradition over the Catholic one, and justified the rejection of Catholic efforts to assimilate “Oriental Christianity.” (3) More contemporary theologians and scholars on both sides seem to oscillate between two mutually exclusive positions: a rediscovery of the dimensions of Palamas’s theology that could eventually be received in the West, and a more radical interpretation of this teaching that continues to pit the Latin West and the Byzantine East against each other. [End Page 626] Let us review Russell’s narrative step by step. I. The Long Historical “Silence” Russell takes the silence into which the discussions around the teaching of Palamas fell as a fact that does not require special explanation.2 Is it not natural that one would discuss a dogma before it is officially proclaimed rather than after? For instance, after the homousios-theology got the upper hand over Arianism at the end of the fourth century, the thrust of theological discussions shifted to Mariology and Christology in the fifth and sixth centuries. But is the silence that Russell has in mind this kind of silence, namely, the silence that follows a dogmatic victory? Russell dedicates much attention...

Koniec zimnej wojny, transformacja Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej a moc eksplanacyjna i prognostyczna teorii stosunków międzynarodowych

The aim of the article is to show the explanatory and prognostic power of theories of international relations (neorealism, neo-liberal institutionalism and social constructivism) in the situation of visible problems with predicting the end of the Cold War and explaining the democratization process in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. In the face of significant changes that have influenced the formation of a new post-Cold War international order, it is necessary to consider the importance of the theory in adopting appropriate research strategies so that on the one hand, it is possible to predict the course of events with some degree of probability and on the other, to explain their essence and importance. The end of the Cold War and the process of transforming the countries of Central and Eastern Europe thus pose a general and extremely important question about the possibility of developing a scientific approach to the analysis of international relations, which goes beyond only short-term observation of current events. The article analyzes the most important theoretical approaches in the context of adopting such a research strategy, thanks to which one could depart from the dominance of extreme, mutually exclusive positions. The great debates that have been held so far have shown that wealth in science is not a one-sided approach, even if at some point or time we are dealing with the supremacy of a particular theory or a methodological approach. The fiasco of the science of international relations in predicting the end of the Cold War has shown the necessity of undertaking such activities whose task would be to combine rather than exclude. The end of the Cold War and the transformation process of Central and Eastern Europe are therefore treated as case studies that help in testing the theory of international relations as adequate instruments for analyzing the changing international situation.

DMI: DVA 2019 Awards

At the September DMI Design Leadership Conference, DMI celebrated the 2019 DMI Design Value Award winners at a special reception and gala. These were teams that have delivered significant value through design or design management practices. The 13 winners fill out a distinguished list of international organizations including nonprofit agencies, government entities, large multinationals, and regional enterprises.As the longest‐standing global institution of its kind, DMI holds an exclusive position in the design and design management landscape. For over 40 years, DMI has been an active advocate for the strategic value of design. The organization brings together designers, educators, researchers, and leaders from every design discipline, every industry, and every corner of the planet to facilitate transformational organizational change and design‐drive innovation. Find more about the Institute at www.dmi.org.The 2019 DMI Design Value Awards recognized teams that have delivered significant value through excellence in design or design management practices. The 13 Design Value Award winners are exemplars in their fields: a distinguished list of teams that include non‐profit organizations, government agencies, large multinational corporations, hospitals, and regional enterprises.

Sylvia Wynter: Science Studies and Posthumanism as Praxes of Being Human

Through dialogue, this article explores the works of Sylvia Wynter to elicit some implications for science studies. In particular, we explore her analysis of the ideological construction of Man as the paradigm for humanity and how this structures the Othering or exclusion of non-White-cis-straight-men from the definition of human in the extant Western Colonial period. We also explore the ways such ideologies find expression in the logics of some central work of science studies. We discuss the ways her oeuvre articulates with science studies, especially research conducted from a postcolonial frame, especially in her notion of a “new science” or scientia. The article also explores her notion of the “pieza,” the standardized black body of the slave trade, in relation to theories of objectivity and objectification. Finally, the dialogue considers the need to start with the writing, thinking, and scholarship of those writing from positions of exclusion, in struggle for liberation, and freedom, to recover the human within science studies.

Solution structure of propane and propene dissolved in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}imide from neutron diffraction with H/D substitution and empirical potential structure refinement modelling

Neutron scattering combined with H/D-isotopic substitution, fitting the experimental data using the Empirical Potential Structure Refinement (EPSR) method has been used to investigate the liquid structure of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}imide () and solutions of propane (0.15 mol fraction) and propene (0.23 mol fraction) dissolved in the ionic liquid dissolved after pressurising at 6 bar. Both strong cation-anion and cation-cation correlations are observed in the first coordination shell with anions and cations occupying mutually exclusive positions around the imidazolium cation, consistent with previous models derived from molecular dynamics simulation. No significant changes in the neutron scattering data were observed after dissolution of either propane and propene suggesting that the primary coulombic structure of the ionic liquid is preserved. Modelling the data with EPSR reveals subtle differences in the cation-hydrocarbon correlations, with propene associated with all three imidazolium ring C-H positions whereas propane exhibits less association with the C(2)-H ring position and has a greater level of correlation with the terminal group of the cation butyl-chain.

Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī on the Question ‘Why Worship God?’

A recurring concern of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210) in his Qur'anic commentary, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, is the presentation of an intellectual justification for the all-important Islamic doctrine that God alone is deserving of worship. When surveying al-Rāzī’s arguments, they turn out to follow the same general line of reasoning: he who is creator is deserving of worship. This, however, might be seen to entail a difficulty (which al-Rāzī himself was actually aware of) in that unless God is the only creator, it does not seem clear why He alone, and no other entity, should be deserving of worship. The following question thus arises: do al-Rāzī’s arguments hinge on an occasionalist worldview? Or do they allow for secondary causality?This article discusses some of the arguments al-Razī puts forward in the Tafsīr for God's sole right to be worshipped. In doing so, special attention is paid to the position on causality that underlies them. It will be seen that al-Rāzī presents various arguments, some of which rest on an occasionalist worldview, and some of which assume secondary causality. Interestingly, his line of argument changes depending on the underlying position. The reasons as to why al-Rāzī presents arguments based on two mutually exclusive positions (one of which he himself does not subscribe to) are also addressed.

Empire in the mirror of geopolitics

The article deals with the geopolitical views of the Empire as a special type of state and politics, the laws of its development and the place of the Empire in the theoretical constructions of modern geopolitics. The Empire appears to be a large-scale expansionist, geopolitically self-sufficient political entity. While in geopolitics are traditionally distinguished continental (tellurocracy) and sea (thalassocracy) Empires. Studies in the framework of the geopolitical approach fixate, that the extensive path of Imperial power entails a lack of resources to maintain the Imperial system, which has reached its maximum limits by this time. The crisis, linked with Imperial tension, marks the limit of Imperial expansion, followed by the collapse of the Empire into several smaller political entities. In the geopolitical aspect, the Empire-state is in close connection with the aspirations to dominate not only the subordinate periphery, but also other less important and powerful participants in international politics. The ability of the Empire to act as a center of power can be considered as one of its сharacteristics. In general, the geopolitical interpretation of the Empire allows us to point to its specifics, but not as a state, but as a special type of policy, aimed at establishing dominance by the content, which is the concentration of political resources and the exclusive position of the state, forming the Imperial center. Geopolitical analysis emphasizes the central position of the Imperial metropolis in the coordinates of the center–periphery relations, on the one hand, acting as a source of political guidelines and rules, on the other hand, the concentration of political resources and monopolistic political position, provided, among other things, by superiority in geopolitical positioning due to long-term strategic planning and policy.

Peer support groups for parent-carers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: the importance of solidarity as care

Parent-carers of children with complex needs often lead lives impacted by challenging constellations of disadvantage and can become enmeshed in complex and contradictory tapestries of care structures and relations. Against a backdrop of financial austerity and under-resourced or exclusionary service practices, peer support groups may become increasingly important and confer valuable benefits not available elsewhere. This article focuses on one such group developed for parent-carers of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and reports on semi-structured interviews with 13 parent-carers. Drawing upon Pols’ empirical ethics of care, we nuance and detail the care that emerged in these settings, highlighting the material and relational practices that developed. We conclude that peer support groups can offer new and vital possibilities, re-situating participants from individualised positions of burden, isolation and social exclusion to confident, positive, active connectedness, by means of an affective and effective relational process we call ‘solidarity-as-care’.

DMI: DVA 2018 Awards

At the September DMI Design Leadership Conference, DMI celebrated the 2018 DMI Design Value Award winners at a special reception and gala. These were teams that have delivered significant value through design or design management practices. The 12 winners fill out a distinguished list of international organizations including non‐profit agencies, government entities, large multinationals, and regional enterprises.As the longest‐standing global institution of its kind, DMI holds an exclusive position in the design and design management landscape. For over 40 years, DMI has been an active advocate for the strategic value of design. The organization brings together designers, educators, researchers, and leaders from every design discipline, every industry, and every corner of the planet to facilitate transformational organizational change and design‐drive innovation. Find more about the Institute at www.dmi.org.The 2018 DMI Design Value Awards recognized teams that have delivered significant value through excellence in design or design management practices. The 12 Design Value Award winners are exemplars in their fields: a distinguished list of teams that include non‐profit organizations, government agencies, large multinational corporations, and regional enterprises.

Mytho-logic anthropology and discursive games of Gods in time stream

Is the thought a gift or bloody hell of the person? Involving in a discourse of «another» is accompanied by forming of a field of own senses. Senses come, but they are not born by own «I». But «a science way» (connected with external language games) or a self-immersing way (connected with meditational practice’s), actually, eliminated our own «I». The way (as would tell the Buddha, Moisej or the Christ, and presently M. Heidegger or M. Moss) is a gift. Such gift allows to reconstruct own human nature and to open «passes» (ways) to different measurement of existence of the person. All transitions between measurements connected systems of signs (or languages). In particular, the system of signs allows to transfer the Messiah gift to historical space by means of a myth or mythical and poetic text. Actually, those who put myths or established names, always occupied exclusive position in a society. Interpreters of Ancient Greek mythology asserted that the main gift of gods is fire; however, main gift of gods was the word and a name (language).In «Being and time» of M. Heidegger language is the house of being. The main thought consists that being is structured as language. According to the modern version of J. Lacan, unconscious is structured as language, and unconscious acts as hidden (unconscious) presence of another (or Another as higher Father-god), so language is found out as universal unity, the universal topos, connecting mental and, probably, spiritual space. Not only unconscious, but also spiritual (and mental) it is structured as language. S. Freud and J. Lacan have found out only private forms of a certain universal principle in which specifies creativity of structuralists and poststructuralists: all actively existing (living) is structured as language or is functional in the field of signs and symbols (in the field of language). Leaning Gegel’s and Neohegelians creativity, it can be asserted that Spirit, generating the dialectic negation – a matter, does not disappear, it is not transformed, and continues process of naming, being in other measurement. But the spirit is structured as another in the creation-naming. The mono-spirit is not enough for a birth of the world, the act of naming means presence of another.In search of a nature bases of modern philosophy A. Badiou tried to find a way of realisation of patrimonial procedures in synchronous (adhered to the present) space of human thought and open the essence modern (postmodern) multiplane and polymorphic culture and thought. Proceeding from A. Badiou’s creativity it is possible to conclude, errors in act of naming is very cost much to mankind.

U.S. College Students’ Social Network Characteristics and Perceived Social Exclusion: A Comparison Between Drinkers and Nondrinkers Based on Past-Month Alcohol Use

There is a general perception on college campuses that alcohol use is normative. However, nondrinking students account for 40% of the U.S. college population. With much of the literature focusing on intervening among drinkers, there has been less of a focus on understanding the nondrinker college experience. The current study has two aims: to describe the social network differences between nondrinkers and drinkers in a college setting, and to assess perceived social exclusion among nondrinkers. First-year U.S. college students (n = 1,342; 55.3% female; 47.7% non-Hispanic White) were participants in a larger study examining a social network of one college class and network associations with alcohol use. Alcohol use, sociocentric and egocentric network ties were assessed, as were experiences of social exclusion related to nondrinking. Drinking homophily based on past-month use was found; students tended to associate with others with a similar drinking status. Compared with drinkers, nondrinkers received fewer network nominations within the first-year network and made more nominations outside the first-year network. Nondrinkers' perceived social exclusion was positively related to the number of drinkers in their social networks, such that those with more drinkers in their network reported more social exclusion. College students' past-month drinking status in the first semester of college is related to their network position and perception of social exclusion. Nondrinking students who are part of a nondrinking community are less likely to feel socially excluded. Improving our understanding of the nondrinker college experience should improve support services for these students.

CCR6–CCL20-Mediated Immunologic Pathways in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has evoked significant interest in human immunobiology given its tactical immune evasion methodologies resulting in acute immune destabilization. IBD comprising Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis manifests as chronic inflammation in the gut mucosa, leading to complexities involving immune dysregulation in the T helper lymphocyte arm, effecting disease pathogenicity. The mucosa of the alimentary canal is constantly exposed to a myriad of food antigens and luminal microorganisms for which a consistent host-protective mechanism is operative in healthy people. Lowered mucosal immune expression which allows penetration of the epithelial barrier by infective pathogenic microbes elicits both innate and adaptive immune responses in the gut, culminating in aberrant intestinal inflammation. Interestingly, the IBD leukocyte repertoire is significantly entwined with chemokine-assisted chemotactic navigation into the sites of inflammation, which is also thought to generate favorable immune-suppressive responses. The functions of the cognate chemokine receptor, CCR6, which binds with its unique ligand CCL20, are expected to tilt the balance between upregulation of homeostatic tolerance and inflammatory pathophysiology. This review aims to critically examine the CCR6-driven immune pathways: TH1/TH2, TH1/TH17, TH17/Treg, IL-23/IL-17, Akt/ERK-1/2, ILC3, and TH9/TH2 for systematic investigation of its underlying mechanisms in the future and to underpin its importance in resolving IBD pathology. Thus, CCR6 occupies an exclusive position in gut immunology which renders it an invaluable therapeutic tool for the production of novel medicaments to treat IBD.

‘Try it, it’s like chocolate’: embodied methods reveal food politics

ABSTRACTEmbodied methods have become popular tools for exploring subjective dimensions of social science research, including emotion and affect, as well as contributing substantively to empirical data. Concurrent growth of more-than-human research, in which the human subject is dethroned from an exclusive position of power and agency, offers an opportunity to explore methods beyond human subjectivity. This paper embraces this task by drawing on embodied methods in the context of food research, asking what the practices of transforming nonhuman matter into food reveal about the politics of food and the more-than-human world. Recounting field experiences from two discrete projects in Italy and Australia, we argue that being explicit about the role of the body in research has potential to elicit novel insights about politics and the contingency of human agency. Specifically, our research with food contributes to debates about the relationship between local knowledge and the market, animal welfare and farming standards, and wild foods and discourses of belonging.

Influence of a Π‐Conjugated Bridging Ligand in Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells (LEECs)

AbstractBy introducing a new π‐conjugated bridging ligand, the electroluminescence metrics of light‐emitting electrochemical cell (LEEC) based on their ruthenium phenanthroimidazole complexes were dramatically improved with respect to its non‐conjugated bridging ligand, achieving a decrease of turn‐on voltage from 3.1 to 2.5 V as well as a long red shift to near infrared region in electroluminescence spectrum. Moreover, the addition of aromaticity into the bridging ligand make the increasing of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) from 0.68% to 0.89% as well as lifetime (t1/2) of electroluminescence emission from 1140 to 1171 (s). Obtained results indicated the exclusive position of bridging ligand to enhance the electroluminescence properties of emitters which that has not been investigated in details to date.

A propósito da Lei n.º8/2017, de 3 de março: os animais ainda serão coisas (objetos da relação jurídica?)

Analysing the Law n.o 8/2017, of 3rd March, which aims to establish the legal status of animals - an objective with which the author agree - we can imply the changes that were introduced in the Civil Code, systematically, are not coherent and do not define with clarity the legal concept of animals. In that context, we dismiss the systematic amendment witch insert a new subtitle I-A (Of Animals) at the same level of subtitle I (Of Persons) which undermine the uniqueness of man and his exclusive position as the subject of rights

The Effect of Lighting the Buildings on the Perception of People from the Color Temperature of Light

Considering the exclusive position of lighting in life and especially in the night lives of towns, presenting some principles to optimize the lighting procedures of contemporary buildings and historical edifices are of utmost importance in urban matters. There are several standards for colors and lights to be used in the interiors of buildings, but not so many principles can be found for the exteriors and facades of buildings. Moreover, in the lighting of buildings, mostly matters such as functionality, aesthetics, and security issues have been taken into account while issues such as optimum energy use and visual perception have been neglected. In the present study, the above mentioned matters as well as the sense of relief induced by the lighting and its colors have been investigated; the latter point brings about reduced energy use in different seasons. The respondents in this study did not regard the temperature of the colors and answered the questionnaire according to the feelings they got from the colors. The results show that individuals get a feeling of warmth from colors such as white, red, orange, and yellow; this finding can be used to change the lighting of buildings to warm colors throughout cold seasons. Furthermore, the respondents reported a feeling of cold from colors like cold white, blue, and purple; accordingly, this finding can be used in warm seasons, especially in areas with hot and dry weather. The application of cold colors in such areas can reduce the amount of used energy. In addition, in order to apply a lighting project and use the facilities of artificial lighting, one must acquire the required knowledge of its technicalities and facilities; then, these facilities are to be evaluated through technical factors so that a proper optimized pattern for providing aesthetics as well as visual relief along with reduced energy use can be proposed.

The Effect of Lighting the Buildings on the Perception of People from the Color Temperature of Light

Considering the exclusive position of lighting in life and especially in the night lives of towns, presenting some principles to optimize the lighting procedures of contemporary buildings and historical edifices are of utmost importance in urban matters. There are several standards for colors and lights to be used in the interiors of buildings, but not so many principles can be found for the exteriors and facades of buildings. Moreover, in the lighting of buildings, mostly matters such as functionality, aesthetics, and security issues have been taken into account while issues such as optimum energy use and visual perception have been neglected. In the present study, the above mentioned matters as well as the sense of relief induced by the lighting and its colors have been investigated; the latter point brings about reduced energy use in different seasons. The respondents in this study did not regard the temperature of the colors and answered the questionnaire according to the feelings they got from the colors. The results show that individuals get a feeling of warmth from colors such as white, red, orange, and yellow; this finding can be used to change the lighting of buildings to warm colors throughout cold seasons. Furthermore, the respondents reported a feeling of cold from colors like cold white, blue, and purple; accordingly, this finding can be used in warm seasons, especially in areas with hot and dry weather. The application of cold colors in such areas can reduce the amount of used energy. In addition, in order to apply a lighting project and use the facilities of artificial lighting, one must acquire the required knowledge of its technicalities and facilities; then, these facilities are to be evaluated through technical factors so that a proper optimized pattern for providing aesthetics as well as visual relief along with reduced energy use can be proposed.

Synergistic Effect of Inactive Iron Oxide Core on Active Nickel Phosphide Shell for Significant Enhancement in Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity

A unique core–shell nanostructured oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst composed of an electrochemically inactive crystalline iron oxide core and an active amorphous nickel phosphide shell is presented, and this catalyst results in superior OER activity. Even activators enhancing the activity of the OER catalyst by promoting the redox reactions are reported, but here the exclusive position of iron in the nanostructures indeed boosted the efficiency due to ideal placement. Moreover, these nanostructures are also prepared in a sophisticated mechanistic approach in which selectively one metal is phosphidated and the other is not. Interestingly, in the absence of iron, nickel phosphide crystallized in a different shape, but in the presence of iron, this specifically formed amorphous NixP became more efficient for promoting the OER. Details of the formation of this active catalyst are studied; the electrochemical reactions are investigated, and the OER activity is compared with that of different leading me...

DMI: DVA 2017 Awards

At the September DMI Design Leadership Conference, DMI celebrated the 2017 DMI Design Value Award winners at a special reception and gala. These were teams that have delivered significant value through design or design management practices. The 12 winners fill out a distinguished list of international organizations including non‐profit agencies, government entities, large multinationals, and regional enterprises.As the longest‐standing global institution of its kind, DMI holds an exclusive position in the design and design management landscape. For 40 years, DMI has been an active advocate for the strategic value of design. The organization brings together designers, educators, researchers, and leaders from every design discipline, every industry, and every corner of the planet to facilitate transformational organizational change and design‐driven innovation. Find more about the Institute at www.dmi.org.The 2017 DMI Design Value Awards recognized teams that have delivered significant value through excellence in design or design management practices. The 12 Design Value Award winners are exemplars in their fields: a distinguished list of teams that include non‐profit organizations, government agencies, large multinational corporations, and regional enterprises.

Demarcación territorial y las comunidades indígenas

La Constitución de la República Federal del Brasil de 1988 y el Decreto 505 de 2004, que ratifica la Convención 169 de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo en Brasil, garantía de los pueblos indígenas la posición exclusiva de sus territorios y el respeto de su organización social, costumbres, lenguaje, creencias y tradiciones, consolidando el Estado Democrático y Pluriétnico de Derecho. El estudio analiza a las comunidades indígenas en Brasil y la trayectoria histórica de la legislación territorial y las demarcaciones de las tierras de los pueblos originarios.