The redshift drift of objects moving in the Hubble flow has been proposed as a powerful model-independent probe of the underlying cosmology. A measurement of the first- and second-order redshift derivatives appears to be well within the reach of upcoming surveys using as the Extremely Large Telescope high resolution spectrometer (ELT-HIRES) and the Square Kilometer Phase 2 Array (SKA). Here we show that an unambiguous prediction of the R-h = ct cosmology is zero drift at all redshifts, contrasting sharply with all other models in which the expansion rate is variable. For example, multiyear monitoring of sources at redshift z = 5 with the ELT-HIRES is expected to show a velocity shift Delta v = -15 cm s(-1) yr(-1) due to the redshift drift in Planck I > CDM, while Delta v = 0 cm s(-1) yr(-1) in R-h = ct. With an anticipated ELT-HIRES measurement error of +/- 5 cm s(-1) yr(-1) after 5 yr, these upcoming redshift drift measurements might therefore be able to differentiate between R-h = ct and Planck I > CDM at similar to 3 sigma, assuming that any possible source evolution is well understood. Such a result would provide the strongest evidence yet in favour of the R-h = ct cosmology. With a 20-yr baseline, these observations could favour one of these models over the other at better than 5 sigma.

We present cosmological constraints from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) using a combined analysis of angular clustering of red galaxies and their cross-correlation with weak gravitational lensing of background galaxies. We use a 139 deg(2) contiguous patch of DES data from the Science Verification (SV) period of observations. Using large-scale measurements, we constrain the matter density of the Universe as Omega(m) = 0.31 +/- 0.09 and the clustering amplitude of the matter power spectrum as sigma(8) = 0.74 +/- 0.13 after marginalizing over seven nuisance parameters and three additional cosmological parameters. This translates into S-8 = sigma(8)(Omega(m)/0.3)(0.16) = 0.74 +/- 0.12 for our fiducial lens redshift bin at 0.35 < z < 0.5, while S-8 = 0.78 +/- 0.09 using two bins over the range 0.2 < z < 0.5. We study the robustness of the results under changes in the data vectors, modelling and systematics treatment, including photometric redshift and shear calibration uncertainties, and find consistency in the derived cosmological parameters. We show that our results are consistent with previous cosmological analyses from DES and other data sets and conclude with a joint analysis of DES angular clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing with Planck Cosmic Microwave Background data, baryon accoustic oscillations and Supernova Type Ia measurements.

Conventional pattern recognition systems have two components: feature analysis and pattern classification. For any object in an image, features could be considered as the major characteristic of the object either for object recognition or object tracking purpose. Features extracted from a training image, can be used to identify the object when attempting to locate the object in a test image containing many other objects. To perform reliable scene analysis, it is important that the features extracted from the training image are detectable even under changes in image scale, noise and illumination. Scale invariant feature has wide applications such as image classification, object recognition and object tracking in the image processing area. In this thesis, color feature and SIFT (scale invariant feature transform) are considered to be scale invariant feature. The classification, recognition and tracking result were evaluated with novel evaluation criterion and compared with some existing methods. I also studied different types of scale invariant feature for the purpose of solving scene analysis problems. I propose probabilistic models as the foundation of analysis scene scenario of images. In order to differential the content of image, I develop novel algorithms for the adaptive combination for multiple features extracted from images. I demonstrate the performance of the developed algorithm on several scene analysis tasks, including object tracking, video stabilization, medical video segmentation and scene classification.

In this article we summarize histories of nonlinear, complex interactions among societal, legal, and ecosystem dynamics in six North American water basins, as they respond to changing climate. These case studies were chosen to explore the conditions for emergence of adaptive governance in heavily regulated and developed social-ecological systems nested within a hierarchical governmental system. We summarize resilience assessments conducted in each system to provide a synthesis and reference by the other articles in this special feature. We also present a general framework used to evaluate the interactions between society and ecosystem regimes and the governance regimes chosen to mediate those interactions. The case studies show different ways that adaptive governance may be triggered, facilitated, or constrained by ecological and/or legal processes. The resilience assessments indicate that complex interactions among the governance and ecosystem components of these systems can produce different trajectories, which include patterns of (a) development and stabilization, (b) cycles of crisis and recovery, which includes lurches in adaptation and learning, and (3) periods of innovation, novelty, and transformation. Exploration of cross scale (Panarchy) interactions among levels and sectors of government and society illustrate that they may constrain development trajectories, but may also provide stability during crisis or innovation at smaller scales; create crises, but may also facilitate recovery; and constrain system transformation, but may also provide windows of opportunity in which transformation, and the resources to accomplish it, may occur. The framework is the starting point for our exploration of how law might play a role in enhancing the capacity of social-ecological systems to adapt to climate change.

SCALE UP! is an exploration in hand-printed surface patterns in relation to scale. The aim is to make hand-printed large-scale surface patterns, by challenging the limitations of the printing screen, the fabric width and the circle as a shape; with the circle as a pattern and structure to visualise it, by colours and bleed-through. The project is based in an interest in working large-scale, in the area of screen printing. We often see printed full-width fabrics where the repeat fills the whole width. However, a possibility to take it one step further and not be limited by the width of the fabric or the size of the printing screen was seen. Why be satisfied with the size of a full-width pattern and see the printing screen as a frame to keep within? The striving to challenge the size of the printing screen and the fabric width were the basis of the project. The result is one piece ~4,2 x 4,8 m big consisting of six hand-printed cloths.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka om det fanns skillnader i engagemanget till Facebook beroende på graden av extraversion, självkänsla, ålder och kön. Självkänsla handlar om hur man uppskattar sitt eget värde och kompetens. Extroverta individer trivs i sociala sammanhang och söker konstant efter bekräftelse, vilket är deras drivande kraft. Facebook är den mest populära sociala median tillgänglig idag. En hypotes för studien var att kvinnor hade större engagemang till Facebook än män. Deltagarna var 150 studenter varav 56 män. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med en enkät som bestod av fyra delar för att mäta Facebookengagemang, hur aktiv man är i andras aktiviteter på Facebook, självkänsla och extraversion. Resultatet visade att det fanns ett negativt samband mellan Facebookengagemang och självkänsla. Kvinnor hade ett större engagemang till Facebook än män. Ett bredare urval hade varit till studiens fördel. Flera hypoteser bekräftades av undersökningen. Framtida forskning kan fokusera på sociala jämförelser på Facebook.

The aim of this research was to discuss about event management theory and how the Liiga (the major ice hockey league in Finland) team organisations could use this theory to improve their home game events. This topic has been divided into two research questions from which the first discusses the current situation and the other gives suggestions for future improvements for the Liiga team organisations. This research is conducted as a master’s theses and it has been conducted in years 2014 to 2016. In order to understand the research topic the general theory of event management has been told from the sporting event point of view. This theory has been divided into two different sections which are the five stages of event management and the operational strategies of event management. Answers for the research questions have been search with a qualitative research and its methods of interview and questionnaire, observation and content analysis. These methods and the way these have been used in this research are introduced after the event management theory. The data collected with the selected qualitative research methods has been introduced as empirical findings. These empirical findings are introduced a research method at a time and in a same order as the data has been collected. After introducing the collected data it has been carefully analysed. The analysis have also been divided into two section from which the first answers to the first research question concerning the current situation and the other the second questions concerning the future improvement that could be done. The first part of analysis has been made in a same chronological order as the event management theory has been written in order it to be easy to compere these two to each other. In the end the conclusions of this research and its research questions are introduced. Also the knowledge which this research is offering for the tourism industry and for its readers have been discussed. This are also a lot of different ways how this research could be continued and made further and these ways have been discussed as well. Last but not least the research has been viewed critically and the quality of it has been questioned.

The potential of using cluster clustering for calibrating the mass-richness relation of galaxy clusters has been recognized theoretically for over a decade. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of this technique to achieve high-precision mass calibration using redMaPPer clusters in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey North Galactic Cap. By including cross-correlations between several richness bins in our analysis, we significantly improve the statistical precision of our mass constraints. The amplitude of the mass-richness relation is constrained to 7 per cent statistical precision by our analysis. However, the error budget is systematics dominated, reaching a 19 per cent total error that is dominated by theoretical uncertainty in the bias-mass relation for dark matter haloes. We confirm the result from Miyatake et al. that the clustering amplitude of redMaPPer clusters depends on galaxy concentration as defined therein, and we provide additional evidence that this dependence cannot be sourced by mass dependences: some other effect must account for the observed variation in clustering amplitude with galaxy concentration. Assuming that the observed dependence of redMaPPer clustering on galaxy concentration is a form of assembly bias, we find that such effects introduce a systematic error on the amplitude of the mass-richness relation that is comparable to the error bar from statistical noise. The results presented here demonstrate the power of cluster clustering for mass calibration and cosmology provided the current theoretical systematics can be ameliorated.

In einer kürzlich erschienenen Arbeit haben Greatbatch und Zhang darauf hingewiesen, daß interdekadische Oszillationen in einem Ozean-Becken-Modell gefunden werden können, falls dieses mit festgehaltenen Wärmeflüssen angetrieben wird. Diese Oszillationen haben Ahnlichkeit mit jenen, welche Delworth et al. in einem gekoppelten Ozean-Atmosphären-Modell fanden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Mechanismen verglichen, die in drei einfachen Ozeanmodellen mit festgehaltenen Antrieben zu Schwingungen führen. Die Experimente mit einem drei-dimensionalen Becken-Modell werden ausführlich beschrieben. In diesen Experimenten zeigt sich der voll dreidimensionale Charakter der Schwingungen. Die Oszillationen stehen im Zusammenhang mit einer Reduktion der Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit von kalten Randstörungen im nordwestlichen Teil des Ozeanbeckens. Der Grund dafür ist ein anomal großes Gebiet tiefreichender Konvektion in dieser Region. Kräftige Temperaturanomalien enstehen dann infolge von anomaler Advektion. Ganz wesentlich für das Vorkommen von ungedämpften Oszillationen ist eine Verlängerung der Zeitspanne mit starker (schwacher) meridionaler Zirkulation im drei-dimensionalen Modell (\"Schleifen\"-Modell) durch einen Überkompensationsmechanismus. Letzendlich bestätigen diese Experimente die Ansicht von Winton, daß sich die Oszillationen in drei-dimensionalen Modellen nicht mit einfachen \"Schleifen\"-Modellen nachvollziehen lassen. / In a recent paper Greatbatch and Zhang reported the finding of interdecadal oscillations in an idealized ocean basin forced by constant heat flux. This oscillation has many similarities to that found by Delworth et al. in a coupled ocean-atmosphere model. We have used three simple models with fixed surface fluxes, a box model, a Welander-like loop model and a three-level three-dimensional ocean basin model, in order to compare mechanisms associated with interdecadal oscillations in these models. Our experiments with the basin model revealed the three-dimensional character of the oscillations in three-dimensional models. Self-sustained oscillations are associated with a reduction of the propagation speed of cold anomalies in the north-western corner of the model because of anomalous strong convection in that region. Then anomalous gyre circulation leads to the development of strong temperature anomalies. The extension of the period of strong (low) overturning in the three-dimensional (loop) model by some overcompensation mechanism is crucial for the occurrence of self-sustained oscillations. In conclusion we confirm Wintons view that fixed flux variability is not a meridional plane phenomenon related to loop oscillators.

Objective: To complete an integrative review of the studies on pediatric chronic illness utilizing the Children's Hope Scale to determine the association between hope and thechronically ill child. Method: A comprehensive review of PubMed, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Dissertations Theses was completed. Titles were reviewed, selected abstracts were then assessed, and full papers were obtained. Results: Ten studies were found which met the specified inclusion criteria: participants less than or equal to 19 years of age, an illness of more than three months in duration, and hope measured by the Children's Hope Scale. The studies found some support for the positive effect of hope for children with chronic illness, but more research needs to be done with larger samples. Conclusion: This integrative review supports the positive impact of hope on the chronically ill child and the need for additional research on the role of hope in the chronically ill child.