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In philosophy the 'free will question' viz., "do we have free will by which we can freely perform an action of our own?" has been the cause and interest of one of the oldest debates of philosophy. The historical background of the 'free will debate' and of its participants can be traced back to the philosophy of Hellenistic (era) that covers the Peripatetic, Epicurean and Stoics schools. Then, it is extended from the Medieval tradition (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and so on) through the Modern (era) philosophy (the Cartesian, the Empiricists and the Common Sense Schools) to the Contemporary philosophy of action. Almost all philosophers of these schools have either directly or indirectly been involved in the debate. Today what we have inherited from this debate, which still continues, is three main doctrines. These are: 'libertarianism', 'determinism', 'compatibilism' (or 'soft determinism'). In fact all these doctrines give rise to the idea that today "there is no single philosophical problem that is the problem of free will. There are rather a great many philosophical problems about free will." (01). This thesis, in the historical frame that has been given above, shall undertake the evaluation of the free will question in "Thomas Reid's (1710-1796) philosophy of action' in the eighteenth century 'Scottish School of Common Sense'. Thus it aims to show the dimensions of Reid's contributions to the free will debate as regards his 'approach', 'method', 'suggestions', 'solutions', 'originality' and his 'influence' on other philosophers.

L'électroencéphalographie (EEG) consiste à mesurer l'activité électrique du cerveau à l'aide d'électrodes placées à la surface du cuir chevelu. Cette technique est principalement utilisée pour le diagnostic de l'épilepsie. Certains grapho-éléments comme des ondes lentes et des pointes-ondes peuvent apparaitre sur l'EEG permettant au neurologue de détecter une souffrance épileptique. Malheureusement, cette activité peut être fortement contaminée par des signaux parasites appelés artefacts. Ces artefacts ont pour origines principales l'activité oculaire, l'activité musculaire, le rythme cardiaque et les légers déplacements d'électrodes. Les fréquences des grapho-éléments pathologique recouvrent celles des artefacts et nous avons alors recours à des filtres spatiaux, reposant sur la séparation de sources. Le principe est de déterminer un ensemble de sources d'origines cérébrales et un ensemble de sources d'artefacts. Les sources d'artefacts sont supprimées et les sources cérébrales sont utilisées pour reconstruire le signal. Nous présentons dans cette thèse plusieurs méthodes combinant les filtres spatiaux et les filtres frèquentiels afin d'automatiser le filtrage. Une démarche quantitative a été définie afin de valider ces méthodes, nous permettant de choisir la méthode la plus performante appelée Adaptive Filtering by Optimal Projection (AFOP). Les tests sur des enregistrements cliniques de patient épileptiques, ont montré, selon l'avis du neurologue, l'efficacité d'AFOP sur la plupart des types d'artefacts ainsi que son respect des rythmes cérébraux. / The electroencephalography (EEG) consists in measuring brain electrical activity thanks to electrodes located on the scalp surface. This technique is mainly used for the diagnostic of epilepsy. Sorne grapho-elements like slow waves and spike waves can appear on the EEG, enabling the neurologist to detect an epilepsy pain. Unfortunately, this activity can be highly contaminated by parasitical signals called artifacts. These artifacts have for main origins, the ocular activity, the muscular activity, the cardiac rhythm and tight electrode displacements. The frequencies of pathological grapho-elements recover those of artifacts, and it is then required to use spatial filter which rests on source separation. The principle is to determine a set of cerebral sources and a set of artifacts sources. Artifact sources are then cancelled and the cerebral ones are used to rebuild the signal. This thesis presents several methods using both spatial and frequential filters, making the EEG filtering automated. A quantitative approach of filtering validation is defined, which enables the author to choose the most efficient called Adaptive Filtering by Optimal Projection (AFOP). According to the neurologist, tests on clinical recordings of epileptic patients prove AFOP efficiency on cancelling most of artifact types as well as on respecting cerebn rhythms.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Johannesburg 2017. / Introduction: Human rhinovirus (HRV) is the most prevalent virus detected in children with respiratory symptoms; however, its aetiological role during disease episodes remains unclear as detection of HRV is also ubiquitous among asymptomatic children. We evaluated the clinical epidemiology of HRV-associated disease among children hospitalised with severe and very severe pneumonia together with community control children living in Africa and Southeast Asia. In addition, we explored the associations between the molecular subtyping and nasopharyngeal viral loads of the HRV species and their ability to cause viraemia as potential markers for HRV disease. Methods: Using a case-control study conducted in seven countries, we compared the clinical characteristics of children (1-59 months of age) hospitalised with HRV-associated pneumonia between August 2011 - January 2014 and age-frequency matched controls. Nasopharyngeal swabs from the cases and controls were tested for HRV, together with 27 other respiratory pathogens, with quantitative real-time PCR assays. The 5’ NCR region of the HRV positive samples were sequenced to determine the species/strains of HRV and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Additionally, the blood samples from a limited number of cases (n=210) and controls (n=212) were tested for the presence of HRV viraemia and the 5’ NCR sequence of positive blood samples were further characterised. Results: Overall, HRV detection was 1.45-fold (aOR 95% CI: 1.29-1.62) higher among children hospitalised with pneumonia (24%) compared to controls (21%, P<0.005); including being 2.08-fold (28% vs 18%, aOR 95% CI: 1.75-2.47) more associated with case status among children 12-59 months of age. The HRV-associated cases were younger (13.1 months) than controls with HRV infection (15.4 months, P=0.001) and more likely to be malnourished (30% vs. 12%, P<0.001) and HIV-1 exposed (10% vs. 8%, P=0.046). HRV nasopharyngeal viral load was significantly higher among cases compared to controls (3.7 vs. 3.5 log10 copies/mL, P<0.001). Also, HRV viraemia was 7.02-fold (aOR 95% CI 1.70-28.94) more prevalent among cases (7%) compared to controls (2%, P=0.007). Moreover, HRV nasopharyngeal viral loads ≥4 log10 copies/mL differentiated between viraemia positive and negative cases. There was, however, no difference in the molecular subtyping of the HRV species prevalence among cases (HRV-A:48%; HRV-B:7%; HRV-C:45%) and controls (HRV-A:45%; HRV-B:10%; HRV-C:45%, P=0.496); as well as no evidence of seasonal or temporal clustering of the HRV species over time. Among cases, HRV detection was less likely to be associated with presence of radiographically confirmed pneumonia (40% vs 46%, P=0.001) or hospital stay >3 days (52% vs 61%, P=0.001). It was, however, positively associated with older age (13.1 months vs. 11.3 months, P<0.001) and presence of wheeze (46% vs. 31%, P<0.001) compared to the HRV uninfected cases. HRV was the sole virus detected in the 53% of cases and generally there were no differences in severity or clinical presentation among cases with HRV mono-infections compared to those with HRV-mixed infections. The HRV mono-infections, however, were associated with a 2.83-fold (aOR 95% CI: 1.44-5.53) higher case fatality ratio than cases with HRV and other viral mixed infections (10% vs. 5%, P=0.002). The HRV-associated case fatalities were more likely to have markers of bacterial co-infections compared to the HRV-associated cases that survived. Among the HRV species, HRV-C compared to HRV-A cases were older (12.1 vs. 9.4 months, P=0.033), more likely to present with wheeze (35% vs. 25%, P=0.031) and 2.59-fold (aOR 95% CI: 1.23-5.95) more likely to be associated with viraemia (12% vs. 2%, P=0.025). Conversely, the HRV-A infected cases were more likely to have radiographically confirmed pneumonia (46%) compared to HRV-C infected cases (36%, P=0.040) and HRV-A mono-infected cases were more likely to have hospital stay of >3 days (72%) than HRV-C mono-infected cases (54%, P=0.039). Conclusion: HRV detection, especially among children 1-5 years of age, was associated with severe lower respiratory tract infection; however, HRV detection was ubiquitous with a high degree of genetic diversity among both cases and controls. Thus the true etiologic role of HRV during childhood disease, especially among infants, remains uncertain. Nonetheless, HRV nasopharyngeal viral loads ≥4log10 copies/mL in conjunction with HRV viraemia are potential markers for HRV-associated severe respiratory disease. Among cases, HRV-A was associated with radiographically confirmed pneumonia and generally more severe disease than HRV-C which was more associated with viraemia and wheezing disease. / MT2017

Thesis advisor: David Hollenbach / Thesis advisor: Andrea Vicini / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

by Wan Tak-sing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-111). / INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1 --- PROCEDURAL JUSTICE RECONSIDERED --- p.4 / Three Kinds of Procedural Justice --- p.5 / The Original Position --- p.11 / Personal Goods and Common Goods --- p.15 / The Good in the Procedure --- p.18 / Chapter 2 --- WHAT IS COMMON GOOD? --- p.22 / Popular Views of Common Good --- p.23 / "Two Senses of ""Common""" --- p.29 / Diversity of Goods --- p.33 / Evaluation of Goods --- p.44 / Two Kinds of Common Goods --- p.54 / Chapter 3 --- THE SELF AND COMMON GOODS --- p.70 / What is the Self? --- p.71 / The Unencumbered Self --- p.79 / The Situated Self --- p.84 / Common Goods and Self-Identity --- p.95 / CONCLUDING REMARKS --- p.108 / WORKS CITED --- p.110

Imagine un sistema legal en el que se reconozca que la jurisprudencia constitucional es fuente de Derecho y que como tal, debe ser respetada no solo por todos los jueces, sino por todos los funcionarios y órganos del Estado. Imagine además, que en este sistema legal la corte que emite los precedentes cuenta con la potestad de seleccionar qué sentencias merecen el carácter de precedentes vinculantes y cuáles no. Por si fuera poco, dicho sistema legal, preocupado por generar seguridad jurídica al milímetro, concibe la parte vinculante del precedente como un instrumento que se expresa bajo la fórmula de una regla claramente delimitada, elegida por la misma corte que dicta el precedente. Los mecanismos para hacer cumplir el precedente constitucional de este sistema legal son muy rígidos y por lo tanto eficaces. No solo se conmina a los jueces a seguir cabalmente las reglas generales que contienen la parte vinculante del precedente constitucional, sino que se castiga con nulidad a las sentencias que, habiendo adquirido carácter de cosa juzgada, no siguieron el contenido vinculante del precedente. Incluso, se han establecido normas administrativas de sanción dirigidas a aquellos jueces que desobedecen el precedente constitucional, que pueden conducir a la destitución de dichos magistrados. Imagine ahora un segundo sistema legal en el cual la discusión acerca de si la jurisprudencia es una fuente de Derecho o no, resulta irrelevante. En este segundo sistema legal los casos considerados precedentes son usados como argumentos que acompañan a las pretensiones de las partes, manteniéndose abiertos a la interpretación que el juez crea conveniente aplicar. Imagine también, que en este sistema legal un precedente es dejado de lado inmediatamente si una ley dictada por el Parlamento postula el sentido contrario de lo que dicta el precedente judicial. Respecto a las sanciones, este segundo sistema legal no cuenta con una disposición normativa que obligue a los jueces a fundamentar con razones claras y prolijas las sentencias que expiden. Por supuesto, en este sistema legal tampoco se conoce de ninguna norma administrativa que sancione –y menos destituya- a ningún juez por no seguir un precedente específico, ni siquiera el de la Corte Suprema. / Tesis

Digitalisation and convergence continue to transform the ways in which audio-visual content is supplied and consumed. This thesis examines the implications for the legacy regulatory frameworks of the analogue era. It explores the relationship between the prevailing approach to concurrent regulation under sector-specific legislation and general competition law, and the competitive conditions for the supply of premium pay-TV in the UK and Australia. Theories of harm for the assessment of market power relating to horizontal concentration of ownership, exclusive rights and refusal to supply, are also reviewed. Whilst acknowledging an enduring role for sector-specific regulation, the thesis advocates an increasing residual role for the enforcement of general competition law. This is supported by the reinforcing effects of digitalisation and convergence upon the network industry aspect of pay-TV and the multi-sided platform characteristics of pay-TV providers. The thesis identifies the need for greater emphasis on the dynamic aspect of competition in the premium pay-TV context. This calls for a broader conceptualisation of competition which critically reflects the growth of online streaming, the global phenomenon around premium drama and the rise of multi-media firms in a global communications sector. These findings are significant and timely because failure to employ a sufficiently broad concept of effective competition may perversely deter competitive conduct and unduly impede the investment incentives that are critical to premium pay-TV. It may also produce outcomes that are ostensibly inconsistent with the normative basis for sector-specific regulation. The thesis suggests reform at the interface between sector-specific legislation and general competition law, and refinement of the principles of competition law in their application to premium pay-TV. In doing so, it proposes a model of regulation which aims to more effectively balance the shared interest of viewers, as consumers and citizens, in the future development of pay-TV and the wider communications sector.

This thesis explores the impact of the cuts to civil legal aid introduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2012) (“LASPO”) on the ability of those who are vulnerable to access justice. In doing so it focuses on the experience of UK Law Centres, a network of not-for-profit providers of legal advice and representation. Law Centres were established in the 1970’s as a response to acknowledged deficiencies in the legal aid scheme that existed at this time. Principal amongst these deficiencies was the failure of the scheme to provide legal assistance to those individuals who were most in need of it. Since their inception Law Centres have developed a reputation for specialising in the delivery of legal services to marginalised communities, making them an ideal lens through which to observe the impact of cuts to legal aid on the vulnerable. This thesis explores the relationship between the Law Centres movement and the legal aid scheme; characterising this as one of reluctant yet increasing dependency. By the time LASPO was introduced, contracts for the delivery of legal aid comprised 46% of the funding for Law Centres in England and Wales, leaving Law Centres highly exposed to the swingeing cuts brought about by this legislation. The thesis seeks to understand the impact of LASPO on Law Centres as a movement, and in particular on their ability to deliver services to those individuals who are most vulnerable. In the absence of a consensus definition of what a Law Centre is, the thesis reviews the extant literature on the Law Centres movement to propose an “ideal type” framework of Law Centre values, which can be used as a tool against which to evaluate the impact of different strategies for surviving the cuts. It proposes a novel definition of vulnerability, to assist in assessing whether the strategies adopted by Law Centres in response to LASPO are likely to prove more or less effective in enabling the movement to prioritise delivering their services to those who are in greatest need. The thesis then uses these analytical tools to evaluate the three most popular funding models adopted by Law Centres in response to the cuts, drawing on original empirical research. The thesis concludes that if Law Centres wish to retain both their unique position within the landscape of legal service providers and their ability to support those in greatest need, their response to LASPO must by driven by cognisance of and fidelity to the values that render them distinctive.