This dissertation is based on the perspective of the new theory of optimum currency areas (OCA) and the coherence of business cycles is considered as a prerequisite for creating monetary union. The OCA theory is applied both to the EU countries and US states and census regions. Measuring the coherence of business cycles was performed using a composite indicator, which consists of business cycles synchronicity and similarity indices. Cluster analysis was performed to identify groups of countries with similar characteristics of business cycles.

This theses deals with productivity and economic performance of small and medium-sized enterprises of chosen sector of manufacturing industry in Czech Republic. The main goal of this thesis is to assess the relation between labour productivity and economic performance in the selected sector of furniture manufacture. Required data are gained from database Albertina. The theses is devided into two sectors. The first part of thesis describes scientific findings about productivity and economic performance.Practical part focuses on analysis of labour productivity and economic performance of chosen companies. The last section of pratical part is devoted to proving the relations between labour productivity and economic performance represented by indicator ROA and indexes of financial health: IN99 and Reliability index. Regression and correlation analysis evaluates described relations from the static and dynamic view.

O índice de Conley é uma ferramenta utilizada no estudo de sistemas dinâmicos. Em particular, as decomposições de Morse combinadas com uma apropriada versão do índice de Conley e uma correspondente equação de Morse freqüentemente nos permitem obter resultados de multiplicidade de soluções. Neste trabalho, apresentamos a teoria do índice de Conley e a equação de Morse associada a uma decomposição de Morse e aplicamos os resultados em equações diferenciais ordinárias / The Conley index is a well known tool used in the analysis of dynamical systems. In particular, Morse decompositions combined with an appropriate version of the Conley index and a corresponding Morse equation, often allow us to obtain multiplicity results for solutions. In this work we introduce the Conley index theory and the Morse equation relative to a Morse decomposition and apply the results to ordinary differential equations

Objective: In obese patients, we hypothesized physical exercise (PE) to affect lipids rather through its intrahepatic fat accumulation-lowering effect, associated with a decrease of total body fat (Fat%) and even weight (Mass), than through muscle work and an improvement of physical fitness. Design and setting: Thirty seven sedentary, non-diabetic women (BMI median 34.8 kg/m2) from our out- patient department were tested. Elimination criteria: recent weight reduction, lipid-influencing or heart rate-modifying medication. Interventions: PE protocol: 60 min supervised trainings, intensity at 65% of VO2max, modified by the Clamped Heart Rate test. Median (M) of total training hours was 34 during 115 days . Main Outcome Measurements: an effect of PE on total cholesterol (CH), triacylglycerols, HDL- cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), index of atherogenity (IA), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), maximum peak oxygen consumption (VO2max), Mass, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (Waist) and Fat%. Results: Statistically significant differences at start (_s) and at the end (_e) of PE (p<0.05): AIP -0.049, Mass -3.6 (kg), BMI -1.7 (kg/m2), Waist -2.5 (cm), Fat% -2.5, VO2max 2.92 (l.min-1.kg-1), W 16.4 (Watt). Correlation coefficients, Pearson's between Gaussian distributed (Gd-v) variables and...

This work discusses the detection of latent variables, which create indices of economic freedom. Firstly, we present the most well-known indices of economic freedom (IEF, EFW). Secondly, this work discusses multivariate statistical method - factor analysis, which we use to detect latent variables. We show different methods of estimates in factor analysis and we focus on principal factor method. Furthermore, we compare already defined methods by analysing the structure of EFW index. According to estimated models, we interpret detected latent variables. We use statistical software SPSS and R for factor analysis of EFW index.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are lipophilic, slow to degrade, bioaccumulate in aquatic food webs and threaten the health of both humans and wildlife. Predatory marine mammals, such as harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), are at particularly risk for the accumulation of high POP concentrations and resultant increased risk of toxic effects. EIevated levels of certain POPs have been implicated in the disruption of the endocrine system in marine mammals. The main purpose of this study was to assess whether current levels of POP are affecting thyroid hormone physiology of free-ranging harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in British Columbia (BC), Canada and Washington State (WA), U.S.A. TH functions mainly by binding to nuclear thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in target tissues and modulating specific gene expression programs. TR isoforms α (TRα) and β (TREβ) from harbour seals were isolated and quantified in internal and external organs. Harbour seals inhabiting industrialized regions exhibited a contaminant-related increase in blubber TRa and a decrease in circulating total thyroxine (TT4) concentrations. Our TRa expression results provide evidence of contaminant-related disruption of TH action at the Ievel of regulation of gene expression. Our findings of a metabolically active blubber layer. and a contaminant-related disruption of blubber TRa expression, suggest that, in addition to disruption of normal development, contaminant exposure could have important implications for lipid metabolism in seals. Consequently, the disruption of blubber TRa expression could influence such critical life processes as energy storage, thermoregulation, and buoyancy in marine mammals. In this study, the use of gene expression biomarkers in combination with a biopsy-based sampling approach was successfully applied to a small marine mammal (i.e. harbour seal) and demonstrates great promise for investigations in other sentinel species (i.e. cetaceans).

Der Radverkehr einer Stadt ist von vielen verschiedenen Faktoren und Gegebenheiten abhängig. Zu diesen Faktoren zählen etwa die politischen Rahmenbedingungen, klimatische und geographische Einflüsse, Verhalten und Vorlieben der einzelnen Nutzergruppen, die vorhandene Radinfrastruktur sowie Eigenschaften der bebauten Umwelt. Die Eignung eines Gebietes für den Radverkehr wird als „Bikeability“ (Fahrradfreundlichkeit) bezeichnet und beinhaltet sämtliche räumliche Ausprägungen der bebauten Umwelt, die in der Lage sind, den Radverkehr zu beeinflussen. Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert die Fahrradfreundlichkeit Dresdens mithilfe Geographischer Informationssysteme und gleicht sie mit dem geäußerten Nutzerverhalten ab. Zur Erstellung eines Bikeability Index wurden aufgrund einer vorangegangenen Literaturrecherche Indikatoren identifiziert, die zur Berechnung des Index geeignet sind. Mithilfe Geographischer Informationssystem wurden die benötigten Daten aufbereitet und zu einem Bikeability Index kombiniert. Die daraus resultierende Karte stellt radfreundliche und radunfreundliche Bereiche in einem 100x100 m Raster anschaulich dar. Der Bikeability Index wurde aus den folgenden Faktoren, die nachweislich Einfluss auf das Radfahrverhalten haben, berechnet: Radinfrastruktur, baulich getrennte Radwege, Grünflächen, Topographie und Flächennutzung. Die Betrachtung der Fahrradfreundlichkeit erfolgte sowohl auf gesamtstädtischer Ebene als auch auf kleinräumiger Ebene für ausgewählte Stadtteile. Aufgrund der Erkenntnisse aus der Literaturrecherche wurden für die ausgewählten Stadtteile zwei weitere Indikatoren hinzugefügt: Radabstellanlagen und Verkehrsmenge. Die statistische Analyse ergab eine geringe positive Korrelation des Nutzerverhaltens sowohl mit dem Bikeability Index als auch mit vereinzelten Indikatoren. Die entstandene Bikeability Karte zeigt radfreundliche Gebiete auf und solche, in denen die Radfahrbedingungen verbessert werden sollten und stellt dadurch ein aussagekräftiges und nutzerfreundliches Hilfsmittel zur Förderung nachhaltiger Mobilität für Planer und Politiker dar.

Understanding the patterns and relationships between land surface productivity and the climatic condition is essential to predict the impact of climate change. This study aims to understand spatial temporal variability and relationships of land surface productivity using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and drought indices, mainly Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standard Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) across four ecoregions: Mojave, Sonoran, Apache Highlands and Chihuahua of the Southwest United States. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land cover data, and Parameter Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation and temperature data were used for analysis. Using Mann-Kendall, I calculated the trends in annual and seasonal NDVI, SPI and SPEI datasets. I used the Pearson Correlation Coefficients to examine the response of integrated and monthly NDVI values to SPI and SPEI values. The positive and negative trends were found during the annual and monsoon seasons whereas only negative trends were found during the spring season for NDVI, SPI and SPEI values. The relationship between NDVI and coincident and antecedent SPEI values changed significantly by area and season for each of the ecoregions across the east-west seasonal precipitation gradient.

Aim of this thesis was to give practical example than the perspective of internal and external economic analyst for analysis. The work deals not only with different angles analyst arising from different levels of available information, but also highlights some weaknesses in the assessment of economic analysis as such. The practical part is then evaluated on real data selected indicators of economic analysis. The final part deals with factors that affect the quality of treatment and evaluation of economic analysis as such.

I decided to dedicate my thesis to current crisis and to scrutinize reasons of the current crisis initiation. There is a theoretic point of view to the current crisis, in the first paragraph. Next paragraph has been dedicated to a scrutiny one of the previous crisis -- especially economic depression of the thirties. Following part is dedicated to the comprehensive September 2008 research and to the situation graduated afterwards. Last but not least has been described the position of International Monetary Fund. Main world market indexes have been scrutinized at the very end of the thesis, data have been compared and the results have been stipulated. There has been a complement in the thesis about the possibility for future development of the situation in real economy, as well as on the financial markets.