<p>The United States of American has often been called “a nation of immigrants” due to its long immigration history. In fact, it absorbed large numbers of immigrants during the different epochs from all over the world. The economics issues of immigration are play a very important role which becoming increasingly considering. Therefore, the aim of this paper is analyze the trends of immigration to America and the determinants behind the migration decision in the United States. An analysis of the data shows that the migrants flow into America has increased substantially, and the trend of American immigration is upwards after the mid 1960s. From the literature review it appears that the impact of immigration on natives’ earnings and employment, is weak. However factors like wage differential between the origin and host countries, educational attainment and investment in human capital, language proficiency are important determinants of the extent of immigrants integration and assimilation in the new country.</p>

Seagrasses are extremely productive coastal plant communities that serve as habitat for various types of marine and estuarine fauna and provide numerous ecosystem services. Seagrass meadows around the world have become threatened by environmental and anthropogenic pressures such as altered hydrologic regimes, physical disturbances, and eutrophication. Monitoring programs that provide high-resolution information and document changes in cover, morphometric characteristics, species composition, and tissue nutrient content across large spatial scales are critical in global conservation and management efforts. In an attempt to address the uncertainties regarding the current distribution and condition of seagrasses in the southwest Gulf of Mexico, I conducted annual sampling from 2011-2013 to examine seagrass cover and condition at 558 permanent stations. Sampling occurred in three regions of the Texas coast: the Coastal Bend (CB), Upper Laguna Madre (ULM), and Lower Laguna Madre (LLM), which together comprise over 94% of the seagrasses in Texas. Significant trends in seagrass coverage and tissue elemental composition were highly location- and species-specific. In the CB, I did not observe significant changes in seagrass cover and no spatial patterns in tissue nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) were apparent. However, I observed a species shift in the northern ULM, where significant decreases in Syringodium filiforme cover were coupled with significant increases in Halodule wrightii cover. Long-term salinity records at four stations throughout the study area suggest that S. filiforme mortality in the ULM in 2013 was a product of an extended period of high salinity (> 55) that began in late 2012. In LLM, there were significant increases in H. wrightii cover in the north and significant decreases in T. testudinum cover in the south, which cannot be explained based on underwater light levels, salinity, or nutrient availability. Both H. wrightii and T. testudinum displayed lower C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios, along with enriched δ¹⁵N signatures nearest urban areas, particularly in the LLM. This study illustrates the value of integrating rapid-assessment field sampling and rigorous statistical and spatial analysis into a large-scale seagrass monitoring program to uncover patterns in seagrass community structure. I detected significant trends in seagrass coverage and condition across multiple spatial and temporal scales, including a massive species replacement that coincided with a prolonged period of hypersaline conditions.

Of all the marine taxa, marine mammals seem to have benefited the most from a paradigm shift from exploitation to conservation. This thesis provides the first quantitative assessment for marine mammals of (1) global, publicly available population-level abundance data, (2) abundance trends, (3) the relationship between decline and recovery, and (4) critical factors to recovery. I compiled a database of 143 population abundance time series. Using robust linear regression, I found approximately one third (35%) were significantly increasing and recovering. For populations with historical estimates (n=47), I also found a negative relationship between decline and recovery. With the significant population trends (n=43), I used a variety of modeling approaches—classification trees, generalized linear models (GLMs) and generalized additive models (GAMs) —to assess the relationship between hypothesized intrinsic and extrinsic critical factors and recovery. The results suggest the ongoing importance of wildlife proximity and accessibility to humans in determining population recovery.

No description available.

During the last several years, a fast growing interest in minimalist chic has been observed among fashion bloggers around the world. Many of them mention being tired of trends, a shift to inner values and a desire for more simplicity as a moving cause. Buying behaviour that is assumed to be sustainable requires a paradigm shift away from unbridled consumerism towards more mindful consumption. Understanding the current minimalist trend is a key to determining if in fact a paradigm shift is taking place, since that would have direct relevance for future fashion business models. This research aims to research and identify the motivations behind the changed way of dressing. It is discussed whether the new aesthetic is an indicator of an actual cultural shift. Finally, real minimalism is differentiated from the phenomenon of “faux-minimalism”. Specific attention is paid to the question whether a more simplistic wardrobe can lead to emotional liberation and increased happiness. 30 fashion blogs associated with minimalist style were observed to gather data that can give insights into the motivating causes for the phenomenon. To answer further questions, eight bloggers were interviewed. The gathered data from both observations and interviews was analysed and showed that the main reasons for minimalist style are both practical as well as emotional. On one hand, the bloggers cited limited space and finite financial resources. On the other hand, they discussed a desire to live a decelerated, simpler, more “authentic” life that prioritizes “being” rather than “having”.

Master-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2005.

Diplomarbeit im Studiengang Information Science an der Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Chur.

Ingen ska omkomma eller skadas svårt till följd av brand. Så lyder den nollvision som Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap har formulerat för brandskyddsområdet. Visionen ingår i en nationell strategi för att stärka brandskyddet för den enskilde och innehåller förutom vision tydliga mål. Ett målstyrt arbete måste vägledas av kunskap om problemets omfattning, orsaker och riskfaktorer. Likaså är det av stor vikt att ha kunskap om den historiska utvecklingen och rådande trend. Syftet med denna licentiatuppsats är att undersöka förekomst och historisk utveckling av brandrelaterade dödsfall Sverige. Data från tre olika nationella register har använts: Dödsbrandsdatabasen, Dödsorsaksregistret, och Registret över rättsmedicinska undersökningar. Vi har härigenom kunnat visa att den rutinmässigt framtagna statistiken från enskilda register systematiskt underskattar den verkliga situationen med 20-25%. Den historiska analysen visar att risken att omkomma genom brand har mer än halverats under de senaste 60 åren i Sverige. Den största minskningen gäller små barn och det är idag mycket ovanligt att små barn omkommer i brand. Risken har inte minskat i samma utsträckning bland äldre och en åldrande befolkning innebär att denna grupp måste prioriteras i framtida brandskyddsarbete.

The subject of this dissertation is nominal GDP (NGDP) targeting. In the wake of the Great Recession, some economists have proposed using some form of NGDP target to replace current monetary policy. We evaluate the desirability of NGDP targets based upon their ability to deliver unique and \learnable" equilibria and their welfare gains in the presence of nancial frictions. In the second chapter, we assess the determinacy and E-stability conditions for simple interest rate rules which respond to NGDP's deviation from target in a simple three-equation New Keynesian model. The rules under consideration target either NGDP level or growth, and can either be contemporaneous, one period ahead, or two periods ahead. We also allow for dierent types of information sets for the agents. In the third chapter, we compare welfare loss in consumption equivalent terms for NGDP targets with more conventional monetary policy in a New Keynesian model which features nancial frictions. Finally, in the fourth chapter we continue our analysis from chapter one but now allow for strictly positive trend inflation. We present findings for the relationship between trend inflation and the determinacy and E-stability of the equilibrium when using interest rate rules that target NGPD.

Homogenization of monthly temperature data in BC is performed for 310 monthly maximum temperature series and 307 minimum temperature series from three networks: BC Hydro, BC Ministry of Forests Land Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (Wildfire Management Branch) and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The homogenization procedure is based on a penalized maximum t-test with mean-adjustment to detect inhomogeneities and make adjustments to the data. Before homogenization, quality control is performed on 797 stations at the daily time step. Trends at each location, in three sub-regions and across the province are analyzed based on resulting homogenized PCIC monthly temperature products. In order to measure the influence homogenization has on trends and validate the trends results calculated from the PCIC homogenized datasets, climate trends derived from the PCIC homogenized dataset are compared to those calculated from PCIC datasets without the homogenization and those from the homogenized temperature products existing in BC from ECCC respectively. The brief trend analysis components are introduced as follows. Trends before and after homogenization are compared for the averaged time series within three sub-regions based on PCIC station data. Trends based on homogenized PCIC stations and AHCCD stations are also compared. In addition, spatial patterns of trends over BC are analyzed based on PCIC gridded datasets, and compared with those of CANGRD. Homogenization results show that 92 out of 310 stations (29.6%) for maximum temperature and 75 out of 307 stations (24.4%) for minimum temperature have no detected changepoint, which means they appear to be homogenous. BCH has the highest portion of stations with changepoints, with 73.8% and 60.7% for maximum and minimum temperature, whereas FLNRO_WMB has the lowest portion, with 10.5% for Tmax and 27.3 % for Tmin. 80 and 81 stations have sufficient data for Tmax and Tmin variable have been analyzed for single station trend over 1990-2014. Comparing with the trends before homogenization, trends derived from homogenized PCIC stations have similar sign but smaller magnitude in general. The single station trend results are in good agreement with results of AHCCD. Spatial patterns of trends that are based on the interpolated PCIC stations also agree well with those based on CANGRD products. Warming trends predominate. Most of the seasons have distinctive positive trends across the province with exception of spring and some seasons over Vancouver Island. / Graduate