This dissertation’s contribution consists in providing a novel interpretation of the role time plays in Kant’s transcendental idealism. A significant part of Kant scholarship on the Critiques tends to assume that time, as understood in transcendental philosophy, is solely a formal property of intuition. This assumption has led several commentators to overlook a fundamental feature of transcendental idealism, namely, that in being the most basic form of intuition time is, also, a provider of content in and for experience. In looking attentively at such feature this dissertation shows that time is the activity of the self that grounds the possibility of objectivity and explores the philosophical implications of such an interpretation. In the first Chapter I conduct a comprehensive survey of relevant literature and show that it is impossible to separate general metaphysics from transcendental logic in the context of Kant’s transcendental philosophy without making serious philosophical sacrifices. I then argue, in the second Chapter, that time is not merely a formal property of intuition but is, rather, the fundamental form of intuition and that, even if space is in no way reducible to, or derivable from it, time has nonetheless primacy over space on both logical and ontological grounds. From this I argue that by time, or self-affection, Kant understands the activity of subjectivity that brings about the possibility of relating to objects through the power of imagination. In the third Chapter, I show that such relation is not left wholly undetermined and that, instead, it occurs in accordance with the layout presented by Kant in the Table of Judgments, the Table of Pure Concepts of the Understanding, the Schemata and, importantly, in the System of Principles of the Understanding. I show that only an interpretation that acknowledges the systematicity found in the Analytic section of the Critique of Pure Reason can justify the distinction drawn by Kant between the mathematical and the dynamical and conclude, from that, that time does indeed provide a specific content in and for experience to be found in the Schematism doctrine. Finally, in the fourth Chapter I broaden the philosophical scope and inquire as to whether Kant has the theoretical means to articulate something like an uncategorized schema or time-determination. I conclude that, although in the Critical period Kant can do so only problematically, in the post-Critical period there are means to do so categorically: system, as such, is a time-determination for which the understanding lacks a pure concept.

Evidence based medicine (EBM) offers an established framework for the generation, interpretation, and utilisation of information in medicine and the health sciences. Central to the practice of EBM is, I argue, the notion of causation. This thesis makes an original contribution to the philosophy of EBM through a unique identification of a causal theory in EBM, and then by demonstrating a reconceptualised theory of causation better suited to evidence based person centred care. PART 1 of this thesis demonstrates that a very specific idea of causation can be witnessed within the structure of EBM. This idea is typically Humean. Through a consideration of the structure and textual narrative of EBM, it is proposed that the framework substantiates central and canonical claims. These claims relate to the core activity of EBM being the informing of clinical decision-making through the transference of causal claims from prioritised research methods. I argue that a Humean notion of causation is problematic for the central and canonical claims, thereby presenting a paradox – EBM is structured to inform clinical decision-making about causation but is inhibited from doing so by the way this very structure conceptualises causation. In PART 2 I argue for a reconceptualisation of causation that offers some solutions to the problems identified in PART 1. This theory relates to a dispositionalist ontology and takes causes to be derived from properties of an individual and as being things that merely tend towards an effect. Causes are seen as complex and context-sensitive, and whereby a traditional Humean account sees these factors as challenges to its epistemological reading, causal dispositionalism takes them as its starting point. To present this theory, desiderata are developed from existing narratives on EBM and elements of the theory set against these. In conclusion, I argue that if medicine and health care desire a framework of practice that is both evidence based and person centred, its causal theory must be reconceptualised. Causal dispositionalism offers an encouraging reconceptualisation.

In this thesis I show how the challenges of producing a philosophy of history responsive to the negativity of the world benefits from working through the difficulties of G. W. F. Hegel’s systematic philosophy. By revealing the powerful and intricate ways that Hegel gives an illegitimate primacy to thought (or the concept) we can better appreciate the obstacles that face a philosophy which places new emphasis on the nonconceptual whilst recognising the genuine role of the concept. In the first half of this thesis I reconstruct the important criticisms levelled at Hegel by F. W. J. Schelling and Theodor W. Adorno. I argue that both their criticisms illuminate our understanding of the metaphysical status of Hegel’s thought and expose the surreptitious means by which Hegel overextends the concept. The value of Adorno’s and Schelling’s reading of Hegel is also due to the fact that they do not cast aside Hegel’s ambitions as mere fantasy. Rather, they provide important insight into the goals philosophy should be striving towards—even if we cannot be as confident as Hegel in their imminent achievement. In the second half I reconstruct Schelling’s and Adorno’s philosophies of history in light of their criticisms of Hegel. The core problem addressed is how unwarranted optimism – entailed by the idealistic operation in Hegel’s theoretical philosophy – is to be eschewed whilst also avoiding a lapse into unwarranted pessimism. I argue that, while both Schelling and Adorno make important advances in this direction, Adorno’s philosophy of history is better able to make sense of both the prevalence of unfreedom in history and the ways in which we can respond to this situation.

This thesis explores the discursive environment in which the ‘interdisciplinary self’ is constructed. Interdisciplinarity is part of research policy agendas across the globe; however, there are competing and contrasting discourses about its value. On the one hand, interdisciplinarity is meant to foster innovation and to address contemporary world problems; on the other hand, it represents an intellectual and a professional risk for those who engage in it. Interdisciplinarity has become a research topic in itself, but scholars have not engaged with contemporary literature on ‘the self’ and on expertise. This limits our understanding of the individuals who engage in interdisciplinary research and how they deal with their intellectual and professional challenges. This thesis aims to fill this gap by reviewing literature on expertise and analysing 27 semi-structured interviews with researchers and administrators from a large research-oriented British university. The analysis draws on an approach that focuses on how ‘the self’ is constructed in discourse and biographical narrative, taking up but also resisting widely established meanings (e.g. what is an expert, what is worthwhile professionally, etc.). The analysis identifies in particular four ‘ideological dilemmas’ that the interviewees struggle with in their arguments about their background, their skills, and the value of their careers; namely the dilemmas of ‘openness and rigour’, ‘individualism and collectivism’, ‘disciplinary tolerance and expert prejudice’, and ‘effort and reward’. These dilemmas suggest that the ‘interdisciplinary self’ is performatively and discursively constructed in a rhetorical context in which no position can remain untroubled. Therefore associating interdisciplinary individuals with idealised traits, personalities and ‘virtues’ is not so adequate. It is suggested that ‘interdisciplinary expertise’ consists of the skills of managing these dilemmas, which may be partially but not permanently solved.

This thesis investigated a new group of poly(Bd)/poly(Bd-co-MAA) core-shell particles that were ionically crosslinked and cast as nanostructured ionomer films from aqueous dispersions. The new group of poly(Bd)/poly(Bd-co-MAA) core-shell particles were studied for structure-property relationships and morphology. The covalent crosslinking content in the core and the shell were varied at constant ionic crosslinking. Stress-strain data showed control of the nanostructured films. The chain transfer agent used during the preparation of the nanoparticles core-shells was shown to independently tune the mechanical properties of the films.

The papers included in the thesis, and summarized in this covering document, were selected, in discussion with my supervisor, Dr. Roessler, from papers I have published in the philosophy of psychiatry. In parallel to this philosophical work, I have worked clinically as a psychiatrist and academically as a research psychiatrist. My clinical work has largely been working with Early Intervention Services, both in South London and in Coventry and Warwickshire, and this work has been acting as a psychiatrist in clinical teams who work with young people who may either be at risk of developing a psychotic illness, or are in the earliest stages of such an illness. My empirical work has been in the same clinical group and has used functional neuroimaging and cognitive neuropsychology to characterize those at risk of psychosis and to chart the onset of psychosis and the formation of delusions. As required by the university guidelines, a full list of publications, both empirical and philosophical, is detailed in appendix 1. The papers included in the thesis hence parallel many of these clinical and empirical interests: papers 2 and 4, in particular, examine the role neuroimaging may play in studying delusions and relate the prodromal phase of psychosis to both the neurodevelopmental and continuum models of psychosis. Paper 3 is one of two papers written with Lisa Bortolotti drawing on Richard Moran’s work and examining delusions. Paper 1 is perhaps the paper least connected to my empirical and clinical work as has a wider focus and tries to examine what mental illnesses are and to begin to describe a position Lisa Bortolotti and I later expanded on and referred to as ‘psychological realism’, with Paper 2 being a case example of this account being applied to a particular area of psychopathology, namely delusions. The papers form a progression with Paper 1 outlining a general conception of mental disorder, Paper 2 being a case study of this approach specifically in the area of delusion. Paper 3 takes the example of thought insertion and develops ideas from Paper 2 that reason giving is a crucial feature that helps highlight what is pathological about certain experiences. Paper 4 brings together the philosophical concerns regarding a wholly neuroscientific conception of psychopathology, and how this is of clinical and scientific relevance when we use psychopathology to demarcate the various stages of psychotic experience and illness.

Today, some kind of laboratory results is required for around 70% of the diagnostics and follow-ups for diseases. In many of the cases the time from sampling to a result is very critical. Therefore the discussion of how to improve this situation has begun. For many analyses serum has been the routine choice for a long time but now it is disputed. After blood collection in a serum tube it is essential to wait 30-60 minutes before centrifugation and analysis of the sample, a long time for someone in an acute state. Other problems like post centrifugation clots of fibrin causing false results or time-consuming reruns of the sample have also been reported. These problems have initiated the laboratory in Hudiksvall’s hospital to find out an alternative to the common serum sampling.In this report, the differences between serum and lithium heparin plasma for 31 analyses has been evaluated. Paired blood samples, one serum and one plasma, were collected for routine, hormonal and for tumor markers analyses and analyzed in a Cobas c501, e411 or e601 (ROCHE). The results of the analyzed samples were compared to each other by statistical analysis.The results prove that serum and lithium heparin plasma is equal for ALT, GGT, NT-proBNP, FT3, FT4, cobalamin, LH, prolactin, TSH, CA19-9, CEA and PSA. The results also prove that serum and lithium heparin plasma is not equal for 19 other analyses. Therefore, a shift between different types of sampling is not to be recommended without further evaluations.

Under de senaste tio åren har det uppkommit ett antal organisationer som säger sig verka för att artister inom populärmusikgenrerna skall få större möjligheter att utvecklas och ta nästa steg i sina karriärer. Med utgångspunkt i denna utveckling var studiens syfte att undersöka hur produktions- och resurscentrum för populärmusik utformas och upprätthålls samt hur deras arbete påverkar villkoren för- och skepnaden av musikerkarriärer inom populärmusikgenrerna. Detta fullföljdes med en fallstudie av de två organisationerna Dalapop och BD Pop. Som datainsamlingsmetod för undersökningen har djupintervjuer genomförts med ett flertal aktörer inom det regionala musiklivet i Norrbotten och Dalarna, som på ett eller annat sätt har haft kopplingar till dessa organisationer. Undersökningens övergripande resultat pekade på att produktions- och resurscentrum har möjlighet att utformas när det finns kompetenta pådrivare och politiker som brinner för kultur och musik. Viktigt var också en hållbar och långsiktig finansiering med satsningar både från näringslivet och kulturpolitiken. Dalapop och BD Pop påverkade karriärer inom populärmusikgenrerna på ett fördelaktigt sätt genom att de bidrog med ekonomiskt- och personellt stöd samt marknadsföring, samtidigt som de förberedde och hjälpte artister vidare i sina karriärer. Möjligheterna att slå igenom på den nationella och internationella musikbranschen ökade på så sätt avsevärt. Utöver detta utjämnade dessa aktörer även musikbranschen på ett geografiskt plan, mellan populärmusikaktörer i olika delar av landet. Studien har bidragit med kunskap om hur dessa produktions- och resurscentrum påverkar musikerkarriärer inom populärmusikgenrerna samt hur dessa organisationer på olika sätt omformar det svenska musiklivet.

Using 3 fb-1 of pp collision data collected at √s = 7 and 8 TeV by the LHCb experiment in the 2011 and 2012 data taking periods, the decays B⁰s → ϕπ+π- and B⁰d → ϕπ+π- have been studied in the π+π- invariant mass range below 1600 MeV/c². The B⁰s,d → ϕπ+π- branching fractions are determined to be: B(B⁰s → ϕπ+π-;mππ < 1600) = [3:72 ± 0:18 ± 0:38 ± 0:38] x 10-6 B(B⁰d → ϕπ+π-,mππ < 1600) = [1:75 ± 0:25 ± 0:42 ± 0:14] x 10-7 where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third comes from the normalisation mode B⁰s → ϕϕ. From the π+π- mass distribution and fits to angular distributions, the resonant decay mode B⁰s → ϕf₀(980) is observed and the branching fraction is measured to be: B(B⁰s → ϕf₀(980); f₀(980) → π+π-) = [1:23 ± 0:15 ± 0:12 ± 0:12] x 10-6 The fit also requires contributions from B⁰s → ϕf2(1270). A search for a P-wave contribution from B⁰s → ϕρ⁰(770) finds evidence at ~ 4σ but confirmation will require more data. An upper limit of the B⁰s → ϕρ⁰(770) decay branching fraction at 90% C.L. is measured to be: B(B⁰s → ϕρ⁰(770)) < 4 x 10-7.

What can cinema as an industry and medium teach us about the roles and parameters that define a “body” within a contemporary and globalised climate of interwoven flows of exchanges and practices? How does cinema make visible and tangible otherwise invisible transsensorial and affective modes of interactions that a body actively engages with other bodies, to create meanings beyond the limitations and capacities of a single body’s subjectivity and materiality? I address these areas of inquiry by examining four case studies of film examples produced from Singapore, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and America that feature ethnic “Chinese” bodies on screen. This thesis sets out to illustrate how meaning is easily imposed on bodies—whether tied to the ethnic, visual, or tangible—rendering them passive where they are mere products of social construction with no individual agency or autonomy. However, contemporary practices of filmmaking and new ways of thinking about film experiences reveal that the body is in fact an active-affective producer of meanings. As such, the body can no longer be approached as a passive central locus where its meaning is defined solely by transnational, transcultural, or other grand narratives. This thesis posits a “transsensorial” object-oriented, and new-materialist approach within the field of transnational Chinese cinemas studies that regards bodies on-screen beyond audiovisual signs to consider the materiality and immateriality of their production and productivity. Bodies are reframed as “body-without-organs” to consider the affective processes that produce them within specific ecologies—and their productive affective potentials to interrelate and encounter other bodies not-yet-formed. Through which, this thesis makes a case for cinema’s potential to produce thinking active-bodies and how bodies make sense of the worlds they are part of beyond subjective notions of lived experiences whether construed through different various inflections of social constructed identities based on trans-national, or trans-cultural discourses.