This thesis aims to make an analysis of the concepts of &amp / #8216 / existence&amp / #8217 / . It also constructs four new definitions based on the concept of &amp / #8216 / effect&amp / #8217 / for different concepts of beings. By reasoning based on these definitions and some pre-suppositions, a foundation for an axiomatic system of ontology is tried to construct.

In this thesis I study the problem of logical constants with respect to logical truth and logical consequence. In order to do that, I focused on the following two questions. First, what is a logical constant and what kind of relation there is between a logical truth, logical consequence and logical constant? Second, what are the solutions to the problem and to what extent these criteria can solve it? The main argument of my thesis is to determine that all of the examined systems are satisfactory to considerable level still none of these is completely acceptable.

The main objective of this study is to shed light on some difficulties involved in the formulation of the problem of contingency in Leibniz&rsquo / s philosophical system. Leibniz&rsquo / s mature philosophy is characterized by the solutions he proposes for this problem, and the ontological ideas underlying or assisting them. &lsquo / The problem of contingency&rsquo / refers to the tension between his conceptual containment theory of truth and his claim that true existential propositions &ndash / that is, propositions which concern actual individuals &ndash / are all contingent. Though Leibniz does not seem to have one definite theory of contingency, two general lines of thought can nevertheless be discerned from his fragments on propositions and propositional truth. The first one is the infinite analysis theory, which is regarded in general as Leibniz&rsquo / s real theory of contingency, and the other is a theory of necessity, providing a division between absolute and hypothetical modalities. This thesis is not a study on the question whether Leibniz did really manage to solve the problem, but rather an attempt to trace the problem to its logical and ontological origins, and redefine it under a relatively simple form. It is first shown that Leibniz&rsquo / s theory of propositions relies heavily on his ontological conception of modalities, which covers the idea of a division between pure possibility and actuality / and then this idea is shown to be reflected on the logical level as a division between essential and existential truths. Finally it is argued that the two lines of thought and some peculiar characteristics of Leibniz&rsquo / s conception of modalities bring us to the conclusion that his real problem is the (deliberate) inability of his propositional calculus to express the difference between truths of reason (essential truths) and truths of fact (existential truths) as a logical structural one.

The purpose of this dissertation is to search the primitives of Axiomatic Set Theory in Leibnizian Philolosophy, nourishing, roughly, from Platonic idea of universal-particular distinction, Aristotelian syllogistic propositions of Organon-Categoria and Euclidean Methodology in Elements. The main focus of the dissertation intends to examine the analyticity of Leibnizian Metaphysics and the anologies between the subject-predicate relation in The Philosophy of Leibniz and Axiomatic Method in general and Set Theory in particular. In doing this, special emphasis will be ascribed to the notion of sets as to universality and/or nullness of a class, probable causes of paradoxes and in this context a critical analysis of Russell Paradox.

Archaeomagnetism is an area of research that utilises the magnetic properties of archaeological materials to date past human activity. This research aimed to use the evidence of past geomagnetism, as recorded by archaeological and geological materials, to identify and characterise short timescale changes in the Earth¿s magnetic field. This contribution to the discipline focused on the first millennium BC, as there is evidence that during this time the Earth¿s magnetic field experienced rapid changes in direction. This work focused on an established weakness in archaeomagnetic studies, i.e. the application of archaeological information to assign a date range to the magnetic directions. The date ranges for 232 magnetic directions from 98 Iron Age sites were reviewed and a programme of fieldwork produced 25 new magnetic directions from 11 Iron Age sites across Britain. The approach developed in this thesis has made significant improvements to the data examined, which represent the prehistoric section of the British secular variation curve (SVC). These data have been incorporated into the British archaeomagnetic dataset that now comprises over 1000 magnetic directions and will be used to generate future British SVCs. The potential of the near continuous records of geomagnetic secular variation from British lake sediment sequences to SVCs was explored. This showed that these sediments have recorded the relative changes in the Earth¿s magnetic field but the dating and method of constructing the British master curve requires revision. As SVCs are predominately used as calibration curves for archaeomagnetic dating, this work provides a foundation for a revised and extended British SVC. This revision would be to the mutual benefit of studies in archaeology and archaeomagnetism, as the latter could potentially enable highresolution dating of Iron Age material, providing a viable alternative to radiocarbon dating.

Apoptosis is a crucial process in multicellular organisms in sculpting them, especially during embryogenesis. In addition, apoptosis is responsible for the clearance of harmful or damaged cells which can otherwise be detrimental to the organism. The Bcl-2 family proteins are key players in the regulation of the intrinsic pathway of the apoptotic machinery. This family consists of three subfamilies with B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein itself representing anti-apoptotic members, the Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and pro-apoptotic BH3-only signaling proteins. The interplay between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins on the mitochondrial membranes is central to the balance between the life and death decision of whether the membrane should be permeabilized or not. The cytosolic Bax protein can upon cellular stress translocate to the mitochondrial membrane where it can either carry out its action of forming homo-oligomers that cause outer membrane permeabilization or be inhibited there by the anti-apoptotic membrane protein Bcl-2. Upon mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) apoptogenic factors leak out from the intermembrane space (IMS) of the mitochondria, leading to caspase activation and ultimately cell death. A common stress signal initiating apoptosis is an increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS in the mitochondria, who can cause oxidative damage to lipid membranes. This membrane damage presumably influences the lipid landscape and the membrane features and hence the interactions of the Bcl-2 family proteins with each other and the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). To investigate the significance of membrane oxidation on the behavior of the Bcl-2 family proteins, especially Bax, synthetically produced oxidized phospholipids (OxPls) were incorporated in MOM-mimicking vesicles. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed a major perturbation in membrane organization in the presence of OxPls. These changes in membrane properties increase the affinity of Bax to its target membrane and enable its partial penetration and formation of pores, as fluorescence leakage assays confirmed. However, in the absence of BH3-only proteins these pores are not sufficiently large for the release of apopototic factors such as cytochrome C (CytC). To understand the inhibition of Bax by the full-length Bcl-2 protein, suitable detergent solubilizing conditions were carefully chosen to enable the measurement of their direct binding to each other outside the membrane, by an antimycin A2 fluorescence assay. The observed protein-protein interaction was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). An established protocol for the reconstitution of Bcl-2 into stable proteoliposomes now paves the way for structural studies of this key protein, in its membrane environment near physiological conditions; information essential for understanding its function, on a molecular level, and its potential as a cancer drug target.

This is a workshop presented by BC RSRnet for British Columbia physiotherapists and occupational therapists on March 8, 2007 and recorded by Eugene Barsky, UBC Physiotherapy Outreach Librarian. / Qualitative Evidence in Practice - Appraising Evidence Developed Using Qualitative Inquiry

This is a workshop presented by BC RSRnet for British Columbia physiotherapists and occupational therapists on November 9, 2006 and recorded by Eugene Barsky, Physiotherapy Outreach Librarian. / Introduction to BC RSRnet and Evidence- Based Practice. How do I get the best information quickly? Step 1: How to ask the question and quickly access the most relevant literature

This is a workshop presented by BC RSRnet for British Columbia physiotherapists and occupational therapists on December 14, 2006 and recorded by Eugene Barsky, Physiotherapy Outreach Librarian. / EBP STEP 2 - APPRAISING THE EVIDENCE : So how do I know that this article is any good? (Quantitative Articles)

This is a workshop presented by BC RSRnet for British Columbia physiotherapists and occupational therapists on January 11, 2007 and recorded by Eugene Barsky, UBC Physiotherapy Outreach Librarian. / EBP STEP 2 - APPRAISING THE EVIDENCE - How do I know the article is any good? Step 2: How to appraise the literature (Quantitative articles – practical session).