ABSTRACT THE GROWING DESERT: NIHILISM AND METAPHYSICS IN HEIDEGGER&rsquo / S THOUGHT Duman, Musa Ph. D., Department of Philosophy Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Ahmet inam March 2009, 209 pages In this study, we explore Heidegger&rsquo / s understanding of nihilism as the essential dimension of metaphysics, of metaphysical experience of Being, and in the following, we address his responses to it. Heidegger takes nihilism as rooted in the metaphysical way of thinking, hence metaphysics and nihilism standing in a primordial identity. Such metaphysical way of thinking as a framework in which Being is experinced and articulated, explicitly or implicitly in all areas of Western culture, from art to science, gives us the deep history or movement of Western tradition. Heidegger considers such movement to be presenting an ever growing threat, indeed as something to be consummated in the eeriest possibility of world history, that is, total destruction of human essence as an openness for the disclosure of Being. He points out to this underlying phenomenon with various designations: forgetfullnesss of Being, abandonment of Being, darkening of the world, Gestell and devestation are some of them. In this tradition, Being, from Plato and Aristotle onwards, becomes nothing at all, that is, excluded from any thoughtful consideration, reduced to a mere abstraction. Anything nihilistic, if fully delved into, would prove to conceal at its heart an alienation to the true sense of Being. Therefore, we need to develop a way of thinking outside the dominion of metaphysics, which should not only discover No-thing as the concealment dimension of Being, thus be deeply open to our finitude, but also learn to respond thoughtfully and thankfully to the gift of Being in, through and towards which we ex-sist as human beings. Vis-a-vis the futural potentials of nihilism in this long end of Western history, the futural character of Heidegger&rsquo / s thinking, his search for a new way of thinking that would incipate the other beginning, harbours a strange Tension that is characteristic of his whole philosophy.

Les rocades, boulevards périphériques et autres contournements sont des infrastructures assez communes dans la voirie urbaine. Elles sont à la fois très convoitées et vivement critiquées, sorte d'anneau magique dont beaucoup de villes rêvent pour réduire la congestion en centre-ville, mais dont peu sont équipées complètement. A Marseille, le destin de la rocade L2 est symptomatique du rapport ambigu entre la ville et sa rocade. Il fait apparaître à la fois la permanence d'un projet d'infrastructure (dans les plans depuis plus de 80 ans), et ses mutations (du boulevard circulaire à la voie rapide urbaine intégrée). A travers l'analyse de ce projet, notre travail répond à une double ambition. La première est de revenir sur les dynamiques d'interaction entre infrastructure et territoire sur le temps long, avec comme hypothèse sous-jacente que le projet, saisi dans son déroulement temporel, nous donnera à voir ces dynamiques. Nous retracerons l'histoire de l'objet rocade, sa genèse et ses évolutions, au regard des transformations conjointes de la ville et de la voirie. La seconde est de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension des processus d'élaboration des infrastructures de transport. En focalisant notre regard sur les transformations du projet, nous montrerons les stratégies d'élaboration mises en œuvre pour adapter le projet à la dynamique de coévolution ville/voirie, et leurs limites qui tiennent aux impensés d'une planification flexible

The waterborne pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), amphibian chytrid, is implicated as being the causative agent for global amphibian declines. The fungus attacks the keratinized skin of adult and postmetamorphic animals and the keratinized mouthparts of tadpoles. Postmetamorphic animals seem to be more susceptible to Bd than tadpoles and adult frogs. Hypotheses exist that the origin of the fungus is in Africa. During the study different aspects of Bd infections in South African frogs were examined including the distribution of Bd, cultivation of Bd, preservation of cultures, the morphology of Bd as an infection as well as in culture and finally differences in host defense. Positive and negative localities for Bd were identified through surveys conducted in South Africa. These data will be contributed to the Bd Mapping Project and the African Bd Database in order to determine whether chytrid has any environmental preferences. Cultures obtained from the positive localities were maintained and cryopreserved for use in numerous experiments. In a future study, DNA extractions from the cultures will be analyzed using multilocus sequence typing in order to determine the sequence type of South African strains in comparison with global strains. This will provide important epidemiological information concerning the origin and control of Bd. The morphology of Bd was also examined using scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Damage due to Bd infections was more severe on the larval mouthparts of Amietia vertebralis than that of Hadromophryne natalensis. The adverse effect of Bd is therefore not limited to postmetamorphic animals. Confocal microscopy uses fluorescent stains and lasers to examine specific structures within organisms. An especially effective stain used during confocal microscopy on Bd is Calcofluor White M2R. Due to its specificity this stain can be used as an effective screening tool for Bd in tissue. The role of antimicrobial skin peptides as a defense against Bd was also examined. A. vertebralis experiences die-offs due to chytrid, while H. natalensis does not experience the same effect in the presence of Bd. H. natalensis possess more antimicrobial skin peptides against Bd with a higher effectiveness than peptides extracted from A. vertebralis. This may explain the observed susceptibility of A. vertebralis to Bd. The relevance of this study is in order to identify areas in South Africa in which the probability of finding Bd is high. This will help in the surveillance of Bd and in the identification of susceptible species to be monitored and protected against the fungus. The effect of Bd on frog species can also be determined by means of exposure experiment using cultures isolated during this study. Through the identification of peptides effective against Bd, predictions can be made with regard to the susceptibility of different frogs to Bd, improving our ability to protect the amphibian biodiversity in South Africa. With the use of confocal microscopy in the examination of Bd, we became the first group to use the method. By the identification of a stain with a high potential as a screening tool, we also contributed to the more efficient identification of Bd in tissue. Keywords: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd, amphibian chytrid, distribution, cultivation, antimicrobial skin peptides, laser scanning confocal microscopy, Amietia vertebralis, Hadromophryne natalensis, South Africa / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) have academic deficits that affect their success in school; however, few researchers have investigated what strategies work best for this population, especially in the area of writing. One promising intervention to support the writing skills of students with and at-risk for E/BD is self-regulated strategy development (SRSD). SRSD is a six-stage, explicit strategy instruction model that includes procedures for goal setting, self-monitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement and can be generalized to a variety of writing tasks. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an SRSD persuasive writing intervention on the writing achievement of 44 students in a residential school. Results of a piecewise hierarchical linear modeling growth curve analysis suggest statistically significant gains were made over the course of the intervention in writing (quality, correct word sequences, and essay elements) and academic engagement. Effects also generalized to writing achievement measures. In addition, teachers implemented the intervention with high fidelity, and both students and teachers rated the intervention as socially acceptable, with higher ratings postintervention.

The waterborne pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), amphibian chytrid, is implicated as being the causative agent for global amphibian declines. The fungus attacks the keratinized skin of adult and postmetamorphic animals and the keratinized mouthparts of tadpoles. Postmetamorphic animals seem to be more susceptible to Bd than tadpoles and adult frogs. Hypotheses exist that the origin of the fungus is in Africa. During the study different aspects of Bd infections in South African frogs were examined including the distribution of Bd, cultivation of Bd, preservation of cultures, the morphology of Bd as an infection as well as in culture and finally differences in host defense. Positive and negative localities for Bd were identified through surveys conducted in South Africa. These data will be contributed to the Bd Mapping Project and the African Bd Database in order to determine whether chytrid has any environmental preferences. Cultures obtained from the positive localities were maintained and cryopreserved for use in numerous experiments. In a future study, DNA extractions from the cultures will be analyzed using multilocus sequence typing in order to determine the sequence type of South African strains in comparison with global strains. This will provide important epidemiological information concerning the origin and control of Bd. The morphology of Bd was also examined using scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Damage due to Bd infections was more severe on the larval mouthparts of Amietia vertebralis than that of Hadromophryne natalensis. The adverse effect of Bd is therefore not limited to postmetamorphic animals. Confocal microscopy uses fluorescent stains and lasers to examine specific structures within organisms. An especially effective stain used during confocal microscopy on Bd is Calcofluor White M2R. Due to its specificity this stain can be used as an effective screening tool for Bd in tissue. The role of antimicrobial skin peptides as a defense against Bd was also examined. A. vertebralis experiences die-offs due to chytrid, while H. natalensis does not experience the same effect in the presence of Bd. H. natalensis possess more antimicrobial skin peptides against Bd with a higher effectiveness than peptides extracted from A. vertebralis. This may explain the observed susceptibility of A. vertebralis to Bd. The relevance of this study is in order to identify areas in South Africa in which the probability of finding Bd is high. This will help in the surveillance of Bd and in the identification of susceptible species to be monitored and protected against the fungus. The effect of Bd on frog species can also be determined by means of exposure experiment using cultures isolated during this study. Through the identification of peptides effective against Bd, predictions can be made with regard to the susceptibility of different frogs to Bd, improving our ability to protect the amphibian biodiversity in South Africa. With the use of confocal microscopy in the examination of Bd, we became the first group to use the method. By the identification of a stain with a high potential as a screening tool, we also contributed to the more efficient identification of Bd in tissue. Keywords: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd, amphibian chytrid, distribution, cultivation, antimicrobial skin peptides, laser scanning confocal microscopy, Amietia vertebralis, Hadromophryne natalensis, South Africa / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of imagination in Immanuel Kant&amp / #8217 / s Critique of Pure Reason by means of a detailed textual analysis and interpretation. In my systematic reading of the Kantian text, I analyse how the power of imagination comes to the foreground of Kant&amp / #8217 / s investigation into the transcendental conditions of knowledge. This is to explain the mediating function of imagination between the two distinct faculties of the subject / between sensibility and understanding. Imagination achieves its mediating function between sensibility and understanding through its activity of synthesis. By means of exploring the features of the activity of synthesis I attempt to display that imagination provides the ground of the unification of sensibility and understanding. The argument of this study resides in the claim that the power of imagination, through its transcendental synthesis, provides the ground of the possibility of all knowledge and experience. This is to announce imagination as the building block of Kant&amp / #8217 / s Copernican Revolution that grounds the objectivity of knowledge in its subjective conditions. Therefore, the goal of this study is to display imagination as a distinctive human capacity that provides the relation of our knowledge to the objects.

William James denies consciousness as an entity and this rejection lies in the background of my thesis. I searched the main reasons for this rejection in his philosophy. Throughout this search, I perceived two modes of existence of consciousness, that active and passive. As James improves his thoughts on consciousness over the main arguments of classical empiricists, I explained his radical empiricism and pragmatism in relation to them. It is difficult to answer whether we are completely active or passive in the ways of our thinking and behaving. However, although it includes some problems and inconsistencies, James&amp / #8217 / s philosophy presents a more plausible explanation of our thinking than rationalism and empiricism, since it can appreciate the changes of our life in an unfinished world of pure experience. Therefore, my inquiry into the existence of consciousness in James depends on this plausibility of the main characteristics of radical empiricism in connection with the classical empiricists.

The topic of this diploma thesis is an analysis of history of special language of architecture in Paul Decker´s ?Ausführliche Anleitung zur Civilbaukunst (Bd.1)?. This thesis is divided into nine basic parts. The first, second and third parts characterize the special language, baroque and Paul Decker´s life and work. The following parts concentrate on the analysis of the special language presenting in this Decker´s work, that means on morphology, word-formative processes, the role of metaphors and foreign words, polysemy and synonyms, hyponyms, hyperonyms and co-hyponyms as well as the relation between verbal and nonverbal language part.

Embora o Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) seja classicamente definido pela tríade sintomatológica de desatenção, hiperatividade e impulsividade, há uma variabilidade significativa na sua apresentação clínica relacionada a idade, gênero, intensidade dos sintomas e, ainda, presença de comorbidades. Estudos que possibilitem a identificação dos mecanismos neuropsicológicos envolvidos no TDAH, e sua relação com fatores específicos relacionados às comorbidades, podem representar uma importante estratégia para melhor compreensão da heterogeneidade desse transtorno. Nesse contexto, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi analisar o papel das comorbidades no desempenho neuropsicológico de adultos com TDAH. Para tanto, foram realizados dois estudos a fim de identificar quais mecanismos neuropsicológicos estão associados diretamente ao TDAH e quais podem ser atribuídos às comorbidades. O primeiro estudo avaliou cognição, atenção e controle inibitório em pacientes adultos com TDAH, considerando a presença de transtornos associados. Os achados apontam para prejuízos neuropsicológicos que vão além da presença de comorbidades, ou seja, podem ser atribuídos diretamente ao TDAH, mesmo que alguns deles sejam parcialmente influenciados pelos transtornos associados. O segundo estudo avaliou especificamente o subgrupo de pacientes com TDAH com Transtorno de Humor Bipolar (THB), pela relevância clínica dessa comorbidade, a fim de esclarecer o papel de cada um dos transtornos no que diz respeito ao funcionamento executivo. Os resultados demonstram que os déficits encontrados no domínio de flexibilidade cognitiva, avaliados pelo Teste de Seleção de Cartas de Wisconsin, estão associados diretamente à presença da comorbidade com THB. Em conjunto, os achados dessa tese apontam para a hipótese de que déficits em atenção, quociente de inteligência estimado (QI) e controle inibitório estão associados ao TDAH em si, enquanto os prejuízos em funções executivas, mais especificamente em flexibilidade cognitiva, podem ser melhor explicados pela presença da comorbidade com o THB. Esses achados iniciais devem servir de base para estudos confirmatórios a fim de ampliar e solidificar essa área do conhecimento. A utilização da neuropsicologia no entendimento da fisiopatologia do TDAH, considerando sua heterogeneidade, tem extrema relevância e pode auxiliar no processo diagnóstico e no desenvolvimento de intervenções terapêuticas mais efetivas. / Although inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are the core symptoms that classically define Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), there is a significant variability in its clinical presentation related to age, gender, symptom severity and also the presence of comorbidities. The identification of the neuropsychological mechanisms involved in ADHD, and its relation with specific factors related to comorbidities, might represent an important strategy for better understanding the heterogeneity of this disorder. In this context, the primary aim of this work was to analyze the role of comorbidities in the neuropsychological performance of adults with ADHD. Two studies have been performed to investigate neuropsychological mechanisms that are directly associated with ADHD or can be attributed to comorbidities. The first study evaluated cognition, attention and inhibitory control in adult patients with ADHD, considering the presence of associated disorders. The findings reveal neuropsychological impairments that go beyond the presence of comorbidities, i.e., they can be directly attributed to ADHD, even though some of them are partially influenced by some comorbidities. The second study specifically assessed the subgroup of patients with ADHD and Bipolar Disorder (BD), in order to evaluate the role of each disorder regarding executive functioning. Results show that the deficits found in the cognitive flexibility domain, assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, are directly associated with the presence of comorbidity with BD. Together, the findings of this thesis point to the hypothesis that attention deficit, estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) and inhibitory control are associated with ADHD itself, while the damage in executive functions, more specifically in cognitive flexibility, can be better explained by the presence of comorbidity with BD. These initial findings could help future studies to enlarge and consolidate this area of knowledge. The use of neuropsychology for understanding ADHD pathophysiology, considering its heterogeneity, is extremely relevant and might help the diagnosis process and the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.

Embora o Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) seja classicamente definido pela tríade sintomatológica de desatenção, hiperatividade e impulsividade, há uma variabilidade significativa na sua apresentação clínica relacionada a idade, gênero, intensidade dos sintomas e, ainda, presença de comorbidades. Estudos que possibilitem a identificação dos mecanismos neuropsicológicos envolvidos no TDAH, e sua relação com fatores específicos relacionados às comorbidades, podem representar uma importante estratégia para melhor compreensão da heterogeneidade desse transtorno. Nesse contexto, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi analisar o papel das comorbidades no desempenho neuropsicológico de adultos com TDAH. Para tanto, foram realizados dois estudos a fim de identificar quais mecanismos neuropsicológicos estão associados diretamente ao TDAH e quais podem ser atribuídos às comorbidades. O primeiro estudo avaliou cognição, atenção e controle inibitório em pacientes adultos com TDAH, considerando a presença de transtornos associados. Os achados apontam para prejuízos neuropsicológicos que vão além da presença de comorbidades, ou seja, podem ser atribuídos diretamente ao TDAH, mesmo que alguns deles sejam parcialmente influenciados pelos transtornos associados. O segundo estudo avaliou especificamente o subgrupo de pacientes com TDAH com Transtorno de Humor Bipolar (THB), pela relevância clínica dessa comorbidade, a fim de esclarecer o papel de cada um dos transtornos no que diz respeito ao funcionamento executivo. Os resultados demonstram que os déficits encontrados no domínio de flexibilidade cognitiva, avaliados pelo Teste de Seleção de Cartas de Wisconsin, estão associados diretamente à presença da comorbidade com THB. Em conjunto, os achados dessa tese apontam para a hipótese de que déficits em atenção, quociente de inteligência estimado (QI) e controle inibitório estão associados ao TDAH em si, enquanto os prejuízos em funções executivas, mais especificamente em flexibilidade cognitiva, podem ser melhor explicados pela presença da comorbidade com o THB. Esses achados iniciais devem servir de base para estudos confirmatórios a fim de ampliar e solidificar essa área do conhecimento. A utilização da neuropsicologia no entendimento da fisiopatologia do TDAH, considerando sua heterogeneidade, tem extrema relevância e pode auxiliar no processo diagnóstico e no desenvolvimento de intervenções terapêuticas mais efetivas. / Although inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are the core symptoms that classically define Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), there is a significant variability in its clinical presentation related to age, gender, symptom severity and also the presence of comorbidities. The identification of the neuropsychological mechanisms involved in ADHD, and its relation with specific factors related to comorbidities, might represent an important strategy for better understanding the heterogeneity of this disorder. In this context, the primary aim of this work was to analyze the role of comorbidities in the neuropsychological performance of adults with ADHD. Two studies have been performed to investigate neuropsychological mechanisms that are directly associated with ADHD or can be attributed to comorbidities. The first study evaluated cognition, attention and inhibitory control in adult patients with ADHD, considering the presence of associated disorders. The findings reveal neuropsychological impairments that go beyond the presence of comorbidities, i.e., they can be directly attributed to ADHD, even though some of them are partially influenced by some comorbidities. The second study specifically assessed the subgroup of patients with ADHD and Bipolar Disorder (BD), in order to evaluate the role of each disorder regarding executive functioning. Results show that the deficits found in the cognitive flexibility domain, assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, are directly associated with the presence of comorbidity with BD. Together, the findings of this thesis point to the hypothesis that attention deficit, estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) and inhibitory control are associated with ADHD itself, while the damage in executive functions, more specifically in cognitive flexibility, can be better explained by the presence of comorbidity with BD. These initial findings could help future studies to enlarge and consolidate this area of knowledge. The use of neuropsychology for understanding ADHD pathophysiology, considering its heterogeneity, is extremely relevant and might help the diagnosis process and the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.