In this paper, the two-temperature thermoelasticity model is proposed to a specific problem of a thermoelastic semi-infinite solid. The bounding plane surface of the semi-infinite solid is considered to be under a non-Gaussian laser pulse. Generalized thermoelasticity analysis with dual-phase-lags is taken into account to solve the present problem. Laplace transform and its inversion techniques are applied and an analytical solution as well as its numerical outputs of the field variables are obtained. The coupled theory and other generalized theory with one relaxation time may be derived as special cases. Comparison examples have been made to show the effect of dual-phase-lags, temperature discrepancy, laser-pulse and laser intensity parameters on all felids. An additional comparison is also made with the theory of thermoelasticity at a single temperature.

The current numerical study focuses on the feasibility of furnishing thermal comfort in a structure, by using paraffin wax stored on a plate below the ceiling in a multi-storey building. The method is aimed to reduce energy demands at the increasing thermal loads. In summer, in daytime, walls of the building are exposed to the ambient thermal load, and heat transferred inside is absorbed by the melting wax. The study is numerical. It relates to temperature variations outside and inside, coupled with heat conduction and accumulation in walls, with radiation between the surfaces, with natural convection of air inside and melting of the wax at the ceiling. Fins spacing on the storage plate, visualization of the melting process, and its parametric investigation provide an insight into the physical phenomena. Temperature and flow fields were investigated for 3 mm and 12 mm thick layers of wax. At the specified conditions of the present study a 3 mm layer provides thermal comfort for most of the day, while a 6 mm layer may suffice for the entire day. Fluent 6.3 software was used in the computations.

While working on the oeuvre of P.F. Strawson (1919–2006), and especially on his metaphysics, I had a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with this eminent exponent of Oxford philosophy. Those exchanges, of which some have been reflected in private correspondence and in a published reply to one of my papers, were focussed on various interpretative questions. Three threads of those discussions seem especially pertinent for grasping the gist of Strawson’s philosophy and its general orientation. The first one concerned the nature of philosophical analysis, or to be more precise, the connective model of it, favoured by Strawson, and its relationship with the idea of concept presupposition. The second thread had to do with the position taken by the Oxford philosopher in the realism debate on three levels: semantic, epistemological, and metaphysical. Strawson made every effort to take a realist stand in this debate and avoid antirealism in any of its forms; however, his realism is in many respects very moderate and not so distant from antirealism. Similarly moderate was his stand in the traditional debate about universals, constituting the topic of the third thread of the exchanges with Strawson. He claimed that universals exist, but at the same time emphasized that they are objects of pure thought alone and as such do not form a part of the spatiotemporal world in which we live. One cannot also say much about the relation of exemplification in virtue of which universals manifest themselves in the world as particular instances. Presentation and elaboration of these three threads has led to the conclusion that although Strawson was a deeply systematic thinker, he avoided wide-ranging and ambitious statements and radical views. In characteristically minimalist way he dispelled some questions, and the ultimate resolution of many crucial and fundamental issues were for him choice and taking a particular attitude or stance.

After having clarified the concept of secularization and outlined its problems, the author gives an overview of the different causes of secularization and points out that the forces driving the process of secularization have Christian origins. On this basis, in the third part of the article, the author describes and lays the foundation for a new attitude for the Church towards secularization, necessary both for being able to convert herself to the gospel and to evangelize people in the world today. One of the most important parts of this attitude is respect for the autonomy of every human person, intrinsically related to respect for the dignity of every person. The end of the article, looking to the future, points out the consequences of such an attitude towards the discussion of some burning questions in the Church.

This paper is dedicated to a study of the religious layer in I. Ilf and E. Petrov’s novel The Twelve Chairs. The analysis provided leads to a deeper understanding of the novel as a travesty. First of all, the few existing works devoted to the problem of biblical referencing in The Twelve Chairs are listed and summarised. Secondly, these existing works will be supplemented with previously unmentioned and unstudied allusions. Following on from the religious aspects considered are: the novel’s title, the parallel between Jesus and Ostap Bender, the character of Fedor Vostrikov, the story of the ‘hussar‑monk’ and several biblical allusions contained in The Twelve Chairs. Finally, in the last part of our research, all the religious motifs are classified in order to further an understanding of the authors’ attitude towards the Bible. In conclusion, we determine the nature of the perception of the Bible in The Twelve Chairs.