Fire is the primary natural disturbance vital to the ecological integrity of Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A new provincial park planning process (i.e., Class Environmental Assessment) has required the review of Quetico’s Fire Management Plan. To support this review, large and severe (stand-replacing) Quetico fires were studied using 1966 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) forest resource inventory (FRI) mapping. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database of the FRI was created and updated with the OMNR digital fire atlas. This database was used as a time-since-fire and fire interval dataset to estimate fire frequency. It also served to archive the 1966 FRI for the largest protected area in the transition between the Boreal and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest regions. Non-parametric (Kaplan-Meier) survival analysis was used to estimate survival functions and mean fire intervals (i.e., the expected time between two consecutive stand-replacing fires for any location within the Park). Previous studies that have used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis methods have based fire frequency estimates solely on time-since-fire data. However, time-since-fire data cannot be equated with fire interval data when using non-parametric methods. At least one fire interval is required to obtain reliable results. The mean fire interval for the entire 475,782 ha Park between the years 1668 and 2007 was 230 years. Performing the analysis on various geographic and temporal partitions revealed fire frequency spatial and temporal variability. A constant (independent of time-since-fire) probability of burning was not observed for Quetico which is contrary to accepted conjecture for northwestern Ontario boreal/mixed-wood forests. A current fire cycle was also estimated for the Park (342 years) using the digital fire atlas. The results suggested that use of historical static fire frequency estimates as fire management prescriptions may not be justified given considerable fire frequency temporal variability. The observed fire frequency spatial variability suggests that studies should be undertaken at coarser scales than is the norm to characterise the regions fire regime in support of landscape level fire management planning.

Fire is the primary natural disturbance vital to the ecological integrity of Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A new provincial park planning process (i.e., Class Environmental Assessment) has required the review of Quetico’s Fire Management Plan. To support this review, large and severe (stand-replacing) Quetico fires were studied using 1966 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) forest resource inventory (FRI) mapping. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database of the FRI was created and updated with the OMNR digital fire atlas. This database was used as a time-since-fire and fire interval dataset to estimate fire frequency. It also served to archive the 1966 FRI for the largest protected area in the transition between the Boreal and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest regions. Non-parametric (Kaplan-Meier) survival analysis was used to estimate survival functions and mean fire intervals (i.e., the expected time between two consecutive stand-replacing fires for any location within the Park). Previous studies that have used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis methods have based fire frequency estimates solely on time-since-fire data. However, time-since-fire data cannot be equated with fire interval data when using non-parametric methods. At least one fire interval is required to obtain reliable results. The mean fire interval for the entire 475,782 ha Park between the years 1668 and 2007 was 230 years. Performing the analysis on various geographic and temporal partitions revealed fire frequency spatial and temporal variability. A constant (independent of time-since-fire) probability of burning was not observed for Quetico which is contrary to accepted conjecture for northwestern Ontario boreal/mixed-wood forests. A current fire cycle was also estimated for the Park (342 years) using the digital fire atlas. The results suggested that use of historical static fire frequency estimates as fire management prescriptions may not be justified given considerable fire frequency temporal variability. The observed fire frequency spatial variability suggests that studies should be undertaken at coarser scales than is the norm to characterise the regions fire regime in support of landscape level fire management planning.

Le cancer du sein est actuellement dans les pays occidentaux le premier cancer chez la femme, en termes d'incidence et de mortalité (taux standardisés de 101,5 et 17.7 pour 100 000 personnes années en 2005 respectivement). De très nombreux facteurs de risque et facteurs pronostiques sont déjà connus et étudiés, plusieurs axes de recherche sont développés sur toutes les étapes de la maladie, mais l'influence des facteurs socio-économiques et géographiques, aux niveaux individuel et environnemental n'avait pas encore été étudiée en France sur le cancer du sein.L'objectif général de ce travail était d'explorer cette influence par différents moyens afin d'en tirer des connaissances et une application pratique dans la prévention du cancer du sein, qu'elle soit primaire, secondaire ou tertiaire.Dans notre première étude nous avons montré que les femmes d'un niveau socio-éducatif faible étaient moins à même d'avoir bénéficié d'au moins une mammographie dans les 6 ans ou d'au moins un suivi gynécologique dans les 3 ans précédant leur diagnostic de cancer du sein. Egalement elles ont un stade de diagnostic plus avancé que les femmes de niveau socio-éducatif plus élevé. Ces variables sont ensuite retrouvées comme facteurs pronostiques péjoratifs de la survie. Dans notre seconde étude nous avons montré que l'accès à un chirurgien spécialisé dans les interventions du cancer du sein, gage d'une meilleure survie, était influencé par le niveau socio-économique du lieu de résidence de la patiente, ainsi que par son éloignement géographique par rapport aux centres de traitement de référence du cancer, où travaillent les chirurgiens spécialisés. Dans notre troisième étude nous avons montré qu'à l'inverse de nombre de cancers, l'incidence du cancer du sein était plus élevée dans les zones socio-économiquement plus favorisées, et ce quelle que soit la classe d'âge de la patiente, phénomène pour lequel nous n'avons pas vraiment d'explication, surtout pour les femmes les plus jeunes. Enfin dans notre quatrième étude actuellement en cours, nous avons pour objectif d'étudier au niveau individuel, conjointement avec le nouvel indice de défavorisation européen adapté à la France, en quoi le degré de richesse économique et sociale et la proximité des services médicaux des patientes atteintes de cancer du sein joue sur le stade de la tumeur, l'accès et les modalités de traitement, et la survie.

Σκοπός: Η θυμεκτομή αποτελεί κοινώς αποδεκτή θεραπεία της μυασθένειας με τις διάφορες προσπελάσεις να αναφέρονται ως ανάλογης αξίας για την επίτευξη ύφεσης της νόσου. Έχοντας πλέον την μόνιμη σταθερή ύφεση ως καθαρή και μετρήσιμη νευρολογική έκβαση των μυασθενικών ασθενών μετά θυμεκτομή και γνωρίζοντας ότι η ύφεση της νόσου αποτελεί χρόνο-εξαρτώμενο γεγονός, πραγματοποιήσαμε μια αναδρομική μελέτη των ασθενών με μυασθένεια που αντιμετωπίστηκαν χειρουργικά με σκοπό τον πιο αξιόπιστο καθορισμό του ρόλου των μεγίστων θυμικών εκτομών και την ταυτοποίηση προγνωστικών παραγόντων για ύφεση της νόσου μετά θυμεκτομή. Υλικό και μέθοδος. Η μελέτη περιλαμβάνει 78 ασθενείς που υποβλήθηκαν σε τροποποιημένη μέγιστη θυμεκτομή από το 1990 έως το 2007. Οι ενδείξεις θυμεκτομής περιελάμβαναν: οφθαλμική μυασθένεια ανθιστάμενη στη φαρμακευτική αγωγή, γενικευμένη μυασθένεια και μυασθένεια με θύμωμα. Τα στοιχεία που συλλέχθηκαν αφορούσαν τη βαρύτητα της νόσου (τροποποιημένη Osserman ταξινόμηση), την προεγχειρητική φαρμακευτική αγωγή, την ηλικία έναρξης της νόσου (≤ 40/ > 40 έτη), το χρονικό διάστημα που μεσολάβησε από τη διάγνωση στη θυμεκτομή (≤ 12/ > 12 μήνες), το φύλο, την ιστολογία του θύμου αδένα, τη θνητότητα και τις επιπλοκές. Στους ασθενείς με θύμωμα περαιτέρω στοιχεία που ελήφθησαν υπόψη αφορούσαν τον ιστολογικό τύπο του θυμώματος κατά την Παγκόσμια Οργάνωση Υγείας και το στάδιο του όγκου κατά Masaoka. Η εκτίμηση της νευρολογικής έκβασης στο τέλος του μετεγχειρητικού follow up έγινε βάση της νέας ταξινόμησης του Αμερικανικού Ιδρύματος για τη Βαρεία Μυασθένεια με την πλήρη σταθερή ύφεση να λαμβάνεται υπόψη για τον καθορισμό της επάρκειας της διενεργηθείσας εκτομής και για τη σύγκριση των αποτελεσμάτων μας με αυτά προηγουμένων μελετών. Η στατιστική ανάλυση των αποτελεσμάτων έγινε με το SPSS 17 και αφορούσε δύο ομάδες ασθενών ανάλογα με την παρουσία ή μη θυμώματος. Η μέθοδος Kaplan-Meier χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την εκτίμηση της επίπτωσης των υπό εκτίμηση προγνωστικών παραγόντων στην επίτευξη της πλήρους ύφεσης ενώ η Cox Regression ανάλυση αποτέλεσε το μοντέλο για την ανάλυση της ταυτόχρονης επίδρασης των υπό μελέτη παραμέτρων στην επίτευξη πλήρους σταθερής ύφεσης. Τιμές του p < 0.05 θεωρήθηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές. Αποτελέσματα: 51 ασθενείς είχαν μυασθένεια χωρίς θύμωμα και 27 ασθενείς παρανεοπλασματική μυασθένεια. Δεν υπήρχαν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές στα προεγχειρητικά κλινικά χαρακτηριστικά των ασθενών πλην της αναμενομένης εμφάνισης της νόσου σε απώτερη ηλικία στους ασθενείς με θύμωμα. Η θνητότητα ήταν μηδενική ενώ η χειρουργική νοσηρότητα, ανάλογη προηγουμένων μελετών θυμεκτομής με διαφορετικού τύπου προσπέλασεις, ανήλθε στο 7,7% και ήταν ως επί το πλείστον ήσσονος σημασίας. Το ποσοστό μετεγχειρητικής μυασθενικής κρίσης ήταν μόλις 3,8%. Οι ασθενείς με μυασθένεια και θύμωμα βίωσαν όψιμη νευρολογική έκβαση ανάλογη αυτής των ασθενών χωρίς θύμωμα (πιθανότητα ύφεσης 74,5% vs 85,7%, p= 0.632). Η μη χρήση στεροειδών στην προεγχειρητική φαρμακευτική αγωγή, ως έμμεσος δείκτης της βαρύτητας της νόσου, σχετίστηκε με στατιστικά καλύτερη πιθανότητα για πλήρη ύφεση των συμπτωμάτων τόσο στους ασθενείς με θύμωμα (95% CI 2.687-339.182, p= 0.006) όσο και σε αυτούς χωρίς θύμωμα (CI 95% 1.607-19.183, P= 0.007) στην πολυπαραγοντική ανάλυση. Αξιόλογη διαφορά, αν και στατιστικά μη σημαντική, για τη έκβαση της νόσου είχε η πρώιμη σε σχέση με την απώτερη χειρουργική αντιμετώπιση των ασθενών. Στη σύγκριση των 27 ασθενών με μυασθένεια και θύμωμα με 12 επιπλέον ασθενείς που υποβλήθηκαν στην ίδια επέμβαση για θύμωμα άνευ μυασθένειας η παρουσία των συμπτωμάτων μυϊκής αδυναμίας συνδυάστηκε με στατιστικά σημαντική βελτίωση της επιβίωσης των ασθενών (100% vs 38,8% στη 10ετία, p< 0.001). Στους ασθενείς με μυασθένεια χωρίς θύμωμα και απώτερης ηλικιακά έναρξης της νόσου το ποσοστό σημαντικής βελτίωσης των μυασθενικών συμπτωμάτων, εξαιρουμένης της πλήρους ύφεσης, ήταν 70%. Στους ασθενείς με μυασθένεια και θύμωμα η ιστολογική ταυτοποίηση των θυμωμάτων κατά την Παγκόσμια Οργάνωση Υγείας προέκυψε στατιστικά σημαντική τόσο στην μονοπαραγοντική όσο και στην πολυπαραγοντική ανάλυση με τα θυμώματα τύπου Β2, Α και Β3 να επιτυγχάνουν από πολύ καλή έως άριστη πιθανότητα πλήρους ύφεσης και τα θυμώματα τύπου ΑΒ, Β1 και C να έχουν απογοητευτική έκβαση όσον αφορά την ίαση. Συμπεράσματα: Η παρούσα μελέτη δείχνει ότι η τροποποιημένη μεγίστη θυμεκτομή είναι ασφαλής και σχετίζεται με υψηλή πιθανότητα για ίαση των μυασθενικών ασθενών με και χωρίς θύμωμα. Οι ασθενείς πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζονται χειρουργικά πρώιμα μετά τη διάγνωση με κυριότερο προγνωστικό παράγοντα για το απώτερο νευρολογικό αποτέλεσμα την προεγχειρητική βαρύτητα της νόσου. Η ασφαλής και πιο αξιόπιστη εκτίμηση της τελευταίας απαιτεί πιο αντικειμενικά κριτήρια όπως αυτά που θεσπίστηκαν από το Αμερικανικό Ίδρυμα για τη Βαρεία Μυασθένεια. Η ενσωμάτωση σε αυτά τα κριτήρια μοριακών παραμέτρων που φαίνεται να επηρεάζουν την πρόγνωση της νόσου, ενδεχόμενα να βελτιώσουν την αξιοπιστία της κλινικής σταδιοποίησης του MGFA και να αναδείξουν υποομάδες ασθενών με διαφορετική νευρολογική πρόγνωση μετά από θυμεκτομή. Επίσης η πρώιμη διάγνωση των θυμωμάτων εξαιτίας των συνυπαρχόντων μυασθενικών συμπτωμάτων μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε καλύτερη επιβίωση τους συγκεκριμένους ασθενείς. Τέλος η νευρολογική έκβαση των ασθενών με θυμωματώδη μυασθένεια σχετίζεται με τον ιστολογικό τύπο των θυμωμάτων, αλλά όχι αναγκαία και με την κακοήθη συμπεριφορά τους. / Objective: Thymectomy represents a widely accepted treatment for myasthenia gravis with different surgical approaches reported as comparably efficient in achieving disease’s remission. With the complete stable remission being currently accepted as a clear measurable outcome of patients with myasthenia undergoing surgical treatment and the knowledge that disease’s remission should be evaluated as a time dependent event we proceeded to a retrospective analysis of our experience on the surgical management of myasthenic patients. The objective was to access the effect of maximal resection on the neurological outcome and identify predictors of disease remission. Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 78 patients who underwent modified maximal thymectomy for myasthenia from 1990 to 2007. Indications for thymectomy included: ocular myasthenia refractory to medical treatment, generalized myasthenia and thymomatous myasthenia. The data collected included preoperative disease’s severity (modified Osserman classification), preoperative medical treatment, age at onset of the disease (≤ 40/ > 40 years), time elapsed between diagnosis and thymectomy (≤ 12/ > 12 months), gender, thymus gland histology, mortality and morbidity. In thymoma patients further analysis was carried out according the World Health Organization histological classification and the Masaoka stage of the tumors. The evaluation of the neurological outcome at the end of follow up was performed according the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classification. Both the effectiveness of the resection performed and the comparison of our results with those of previous studies were done using the complete stable remission as the end point of the study. The statistical analysis of the results was carried out using the SPSS 17. Kaplan-Meier life table analysis was performed and the log rank test was used to evaluate the effect of the variables examined on the distribution of disease’s remission over time. The Cox proportional hazard model was also applied to verify the concurrent effect of the evaluated factors on the achievement of complete stable remission. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 51 patients suffered of non thymomatous myasthenia while 27 patients had myasthenia with thymoma. The two groups were comparable in refer to the clinical features of the patients apart the more advanced age at the time of the diagnosis for thymoma patients. There was no perioperative mortality, while the surgical morbidity was comparable to the one reported in other series of patients with different surgical approaches and was 7.7%. The rate of postoperative myasthenic crisis was only 3.8%. Thymoma and non thymoma patients experienced comparable complete stable remission prediction (74.5% vs 85.7% at 15 years, p= 0.632). The absence of steroids in the preoperative medical regimen was statistically associated with the achievement of complete stable remission in both thymoma (95% CI 2.687-339.182, p= 0.006) and non thymoma patients (CI 95% 1.607-19.183, P= 0.007) in multivariate analysis. There was an important difference, although not statistically significant, for the neurological outcome between early and late surgical treatment. When the 27 patients with myasthenia and thymoma were compared with other 12 patients similarly operated for thymoma without symptoms and signs of muscular weakness we found that the presence of myasthenia was statistically associated with improved survival (100% vs 38.8% at 10 years, p< 0.001). Non thymoma patients presenting with late onset myasthenia, experienced high improvement (complete stable remission excluded) rate reaching up to 70% at the end of follow up. Among patients with thymomatous myasthenia gravis the World Health Organization histological classification was statistically associated with the late neurological outcome. Thymoma types A, B3 and B2 reached a high to excellent prediction of disease’s remission while types AB, B2 and C had a disappointing neurological outcome. Conclusons: The present study demonstrated that the modified maximal thymectomy is a safe procedure, associated with an excellent neurological outcome in both thymomatous and non thymomatous myasthenia. The patients should be operated early after the diagnosis is made with the disease’s severity being the prime determinant of the possibility to achieve complete remission of myasthenic symptoms. The evaluation of disease’s severity requires objective criteria like the ones proposed by the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. The inclusion in these criteria of molecular markers related to myasthenia’s prognosis and its neurological outcome after thymectomy may further enhance its validity and may allow the identification of subgroups of patients with different disease prognosis after thymectomy. The presence of muscular weakness may lead to early diagnosis and surgical treatment of thymomas with improved survival. Finally the neurologic outcome in thymoma patients after thymectomy may be statistically associated with the World Health Organization classification subtypes but not necessarily with the aggressiveness of these tumors.

This master's thesis is specialised in designing of small hydropower plant for specific location. In work should be designed suitable turbine for parameters found on the site, then created a basic project documentation of small hydropower plant with all devices and used principles, so that the plant would be capable of operation. In the next part of thesis should be extented the calculation of flow in the turbine delivery and assessed effect of geometry of turbine delivery on the flow.

Professional supervision realized in terms of tripartite contract by trained supervisor is a part of care improvement in helping professions. Although pastoral supervision is manifesting many similarities to supervision in helping professions, a difference can be found in the emphasis on its spiritual and theological richness. There is no concept of such perceived supervision in the Czech Republic. This led to the need for mapping the situation of supervision provided to healthcare chaplains in the Czech Republic and for inquiries as to whether the provided supervision comply with the parameters of professional supervision. Spiritually centered holistic pastoral care, which is presented in their work, comes from biblical sources. Thus, spiritual dimension of human existence is firmly founded in the prior understanding of the healthcare chaplain (pastoral worker) and communication is realized in a specific language within specific discourse. Supervision provided to healthcare chaplains should, therefore, react to these circumstances and reflect them. The second phase of the research is concerned with the possible specifics and demands on the supervisor which lead from it. Key words: supervision, pastoral supervision, clinical pastoral care, spirituality, religiosity, spiritually centered holistic...

The thesis investigates the impact of age-biased sampling on the accuracy of lifetime prediction models for traffic signs. The bias in question originates from age-biased sampling as a result of the inspection paradox. This phenomenon occurs because longer intervals have a higher probability of being observed compared to shorter intervals, leading to a skewed representation in the data. The research employs a dual approach: firstly, conducting an extensive analysis of real data on traffic sign longevity using a Weibull Survival Model. This analysis is based on the data set compiled by Saleh et al., (2023). Secondly, the study sets up a Monte Carlo simulation to systematically explore the effects of varying degrees and patterns of age bias on the sample. The simulation parameters are derived from the original Weibull Model parameters, obtained from the real dataset. This approach ensures that the simulations closely replicate the actual parameters and estimates. The comparison of the true shape, scale, intercept, and the coefficients associated with the covariates against the simulated estimates indicates a significant bias in the dataset. The study also examines the impact of this bias on the predictive capabilities of various models: Weibull Modeling, Cox Proportional Hazards, Kaplan Meier, and Random Survival Forest. This is done by comparing the true means and medians of the simulated data with the estimates from each model. The findings show that all models exhibit large deviations from the actual means and medians at varying bias levels in the simulated data. The accuracy of the predictions is measured using the Brier Score. This score also shows significant deviations from the prediction accuracy of the original Weibull Model applied to the real dataset, especially when the bias levels vary across simulated datasets. Given these findings, the study advises against using the aforementioned methods for lifetime modeling of traffic signs when there is age bias due to the inspection paradox.

Systeme mit Zeitverzögerung sind dadurch charakterisiert, dass deren zukünftige Entwicklung durch den Zustand zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt nicht eindeutig festgelegt ist. Die Historie des Zustands muss in einem Zeitraum bekannt sein, dessen Länge Totzeit genannt wird und die Gedächtnislänge festlegt. In dieser Arbeit werden fundamentale Effekte untersucht, die sich ergeben, wenn die Totzeit zeitlich variiert wird. Im ersten Teil werden zwei Klassen periodischer Totzeitvariationen eingeführt. Da diese von den dynamischen Eigenschaften einer eindimensionalen iterierten Abbildung abgeleitet werden, die über die Totzeit definiert wird, werden die Klassen entsprechend der zugehörigen Dynamik konservativ oder dissipativ genannt. Systeme mit konservativer Totzeit können in Systeme mit konstanter Totzeit transformiert werden und besitzen gleiche charakteristische Eigenschaften. Dagegen weisen Systeme mit dissipativer Totzeit fundamentale Unterschiede z.B. in der Tangentialraumdynamik auf. Im zweiten Teil werden diese Ergebnisse auf Systeme angewendet, deren Totzeit im Vergleich zur internen Relaxationszeit des Systems groß ist. Es zeigt sich, dass ein durch dissipative Totzeitvariationen induzierter Mechanismus, genannt resonanter Dopplereffekt, unter anderem zu neuen Arten chaotischer Dynamik führt. Diese sind im Vergleich zur bekannten chaotischen Dynamik in Systemen mit konstanter Totzeit sehr niedrig-dimensional. Als Spezialfall wird das so genannte laminare Chaos betrachtet, dessen Zeitreihen durch nahezu konstante Phasen periodischer Dauer gekennzeichnet sind, deren Amplitude chaotisch variiert. Im dritten Teil dieser Arbeit wird auf der Basis experimenteller Daten und durch die Analyse einer nichtlinearen retardierten Langevin-Gleichung gezeigt, dass laminares Chaos robust gegenüber Störungen wie zum Beispiel Rauschen ist und experimentell realisiert werden kann. Es werden Methoden zur Zeitreihenanalyse entwickelt, um laminares Chaos in experimentellen Daten ohne Kenntnis des erzeugenden Systems zu detektieren. Mit diesen Methoden ist selbst dann eine Detektion möglich, wenn das Rauschen so stark ist, dass laminares Chaos mit bloßem Auge nur schwer erkennbar ist.:1. Introduction 2. Dissipative and conservative delays in systems with time-varying delay 3. Laminar Chaos and the resonant Doppler effect 4. Laminar Chaos: a robust phenomenon 5. Summary and concluding remarks A. Appendix / In systems with time-delay, the evolution of a system is not uniquely determined by the state at the current time. The history of the state must be known for a time period of finite duration, where the duration is called delay and determines the memory length of the system. In this work, fundamental effects arising from a temporal variation of the time-delay are investigated. In the first part, two classes of periodically time-varying delays are introduced. They are related to a specific dynamics of a one-dimensional iterated map that is defined by the time-varying delay. Referring to the related map dynamics the classes are called conservative or dissipative. Systems with conservative delay can be transformed into systems with constant delay, and thus have the same characteristic properties as constant delay systems. In contrast, there are fundamental differences, for instance, in the tangent space dynamics, between systems with dissipative delay and systems with constant delay. In the second part, these results are applied to systems with a delay that is considered large compared to the internal relaxation time of the system. It is shown that a mechanism induced by dissipative delays leads to new kinds of regular and chaotic dynamics. The dynamics caused by the so-called resonant Doppler effect is fundamentally different from the behavior known from systems with constant delay. For instance, the chaotic attractors in systems with dissipative delay are very low-dimensional compared to typical ones arising in systems with constant delay. An example of this new kind of low-dimensional dynamics is given by the so-called Laminar Chaos. It is characterized by nearly constant laminar phases of periodic duration, where the amplitude varies chaotically. In the third part of this work, it is shown that Laminar Chaos is a robust phenomenon, which survives perturbations such as noise and can be observed experimentally. Therefore experimental data is provided and a nonlinear delayed Langevin equation is analyzed. Using the robust features that characterize Laminar Chaos, methods for time series analysis are developed, which enable us to detect Laminar Chaos without the knowledge of the specific system that has generated the time series. By these methods Laminar Chaos can be detected even for comparably large noise strengths, where the characteristic properties are nearly invisible to the eye.:1. Introduction 2. Dissipative and conservative delays in systems with time-varying delay 3. Laminar Chaos and the resonant Doppler effect 4. Laminar Chaos: a robust phenomenon 5. Summary and concluding remarks A. Appendix

<p>The purpose of this essay is to investigate how well vision and strategies communicates from division level to underlying business unit levels with focus on the Balanced Scorecard Concept. The investigation was carried out within the ANS division and two of its underlying business units at the LFV Group (Swedish Airports and Air Navigation Services). ANS is responsible for the air navigation services in Sweden and the production of the services is carried out of the business units AER (En Route) and ATA (Tower and Approach). With Air Navigation Services means supervision and conducting air traffic mainly within national air space. The purpose of the services is to insure that air traffic could be carried out in a safe way.</p><p>The Balanced Scorecard was introduced for the first time in the beginning of the 1990´s. The authors behind the concept were Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. The Balanced Scorecard, as a management tool, considers not only financial targets but take into account non financial targets as well because they have also a great influence on an organizations performance. The purpose of the scorecard concept is to deliver a balanced picture of organizations performance indicators, which gives information of key elements today, tomorrow and in the future. The LFV Group and its division ANS implemented the scorecard concept in the middle 1990´s and today the scorecard is a corn stone in the business process.</p><p>During several years Kaplan and Norton have developed the scorecard concept, especially with a focus to communicate a clear message throughout the organization. The latest compliment to the Balanced Scorecard is the Strategy Map. The Strategy Map is a single document and it has a main objective to explain the strategy. To do that the Strategy Map describe how local defined targets are connected to and contributes to the overall target for the organization.</p><p>To establish a picture of how ANS mediates vision and strategies to the underlying business units AER and ATA and how the message will be understood by the employees the authors of this essay have done several interviews and one opinion poll.</p><p>To communicate vision and strategies ANS establish a business plan for the whole division. ANS business plan is then a guiding star when the business units establish their business plans. The division and the business unit’s business plans are therefore very similar to each other and the structure is based on the Balanced Scorecard concept.</p><p>We have found out in this investigation that the communication of vision and strategies works well between division management and the underlying business units and its management with today’s application of the Balanced Scorecard. On the other hand the communication of vision and strategies with the scorecard concept to all employees is unsatisfactory. Workforce on underlying units below the management level have an unclear picture of the Balanced Scorecards function in the management process with purpose to send a clear message of vision on strategies.</p><p>The application of the scorecard concept is not similar for all units within the ANS. One unit for example has developed a Strategy Map to explain the strategy focus for the employees, other unit’s works more conventional with the basic concept of the scorecard. A more similar leadership could give a more positive effect and send a clear view to all employees. Through competence and contacts within the organization there are opportunities for education and development of the scorecard concept for the ANS division.</p> / <p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur väl vision och strategier förmedlas från divisionsnivå till underliggande affärsområdesnivå med avseende på det balanserade styrkortets utformning.</p><p>Undersökningen genomfördes på division ANS och två av ANS underliggande affärsområden AER och ATA vid svenska Luftfartsverket. ANS ansvarar för flygtrafiktjänsten i Sverige vilket sköts av AER och ATA. Flygtrafiktjänst innebär bland annat att övervaka och dirigera flygplan inom tilldelat luftrummet, detta för att kunna bedriva flygtrafik på ett säkert sätt.</p><p>Det balanserade styrkortet presenterades för första gången i början av 1990-talet av upphovsmännen Robert S. Kaplan och David P. Norton. Det balanserade styrkortet tar inte bara hänsyn till finansiella mått utan även icke finansiella mått vilket ger en mer balanserade syn på verksamheten. Luftfartsverket och division ANS började arbeta relativt tidigt med det balanserade styrkortet. I ett samarbete med ett konsultbolag i mitten av 1990-talet utformades ett balanserat styrkort för LFV som än idag arbetas efter.</p><p>Under årens lopp har Kaplan och Norton utvecklat styrkortet, speciellt med avseende på att kommunicera budskap ut i organisationen med hjälp av styrkortet. Det senaste komplementet till styrkortet är Strategikartan som utgörs av ett enskilt dokument och har som uppgift att förklara en strategi. Detta genom att visa och förklara hur ett enskilt uppsatt mål bidrar till helheten i en organisation.</p><p>För att få en uppfattning om hur ANS förmedlar vision och strategier till de underliggande affärsområdena AER och ATA och hur budskapet uppfattas av medarbetarna har intervjuer och en enkätundersökning genomförts.</p><p>För att förmedla vision och strategier upprättar ANS en affärsplan för hela divisionen. ANS affärsplan ligger sedan till grund för de affärsplaner som upprättas för respektive affärsområde. Divisionens och affärsområdenas affärsplaner är snarlika varandra och är uppbyggda på en struktur enlig konceptet med det balanserade styrkortet.</p><p>Resultatet som har framkommit i undersökningen är att kommunikationen av vision och strategier från divisionsledning till ledning för affärsområde ATA och AER fungerar bra med det balanserades styrkortets nuvarande utformning.</p><p>Däremot så finns det brister i kommunikationen av vision och strategier från affärsområdesledning ut till de underliggande produktionsenheterna. På dessa underliggande organisatoriska enheter så upplevs inte nuvarande styrkortskonceptet fungera i samma utsträckning med avseende på uppgiften att förmedla vision och strategier.</p><p>Tillämpningen av styrkortskonceptet skiljer sig dock mellan produktionsenheterna i affärsområdena. Detta exemplifieras av då ATCC-enheten i Stockholm har utvecklat styrkortkonceptet med en strategikarta och där upplevs kommunikationen ha förbättras. Konceptet med strategikarta skulle mycket väl kunna vara applicerbart på andra enheter och till och med för hela divisionens verksamhet. Genom att nyttja den kompetens och kontakter som idag finns inom verksamheten finns det stora möjligheter för utbildning och utveckling av styrkortskonceptet för division ANS.</p>

The existing practice of prison chaplaincy service. Master's thesis called The Existing Practice of Prison Chaplaincy Service is about purpose and object of prison chaplaincy service from the view of prison chaplains. The theoretical part presents volunteer pastoral care in prison and employee pastoral care in prison including history and object of these both parts. Master's thesis looks into personal character of chaplain, summarizes scope of his employment and different duties in custodial sentence and in sentence of imprisonment. The practical part come out from qualitative elaboration interviews with four chaplains (two were men and two were women) and also with one former user of prison chaplaincy service. The original intention of this master's thesis (purpose and object of prison chaplaincy service from the view of chaplain) has been extended by two new objects (describe personal way of faith and surroundings of prison) pursuant to interview with former user. Results brings different perception of purpose and objects of prison chaplaincy service - hope, change, self-improvement, correction of personal character and self-understanding. The conclusions include chaplains visions of the future of prison chaplaincy service -supervision support, positive medialization, to profile role of chaplain, help for...