This research analyzes the Brazilian exchange rate system and the exchange rate interventions after flexible exchange rate system implementation in 1999, and have like base the "fear of floating" approach, the exchange rate interventions theory and of the fact exchange rate classification. The evidences found for Brazil suggest that the exchange rate interventions illustrate objectives of the exchange rate debt reduction and do not follow the "fear of floating objectives". In the others empirical tests find a weak short run relation between exchange rate and domestic interest rate, exchange rate backups, domestic inflation and public debt in proportion to the GDP, and a strong short run relation between exchange rate and country risk, indicating that the movements of the exchange rate do not affect heavy the variables of the "fear of floating" and that do not believe that the country suffer from that problem. Confirming that idea, finds that of the fact exchange rate system is compatible with the jure exchange rate system, despite it find low exchange rate flexibility. / Esta pesquisa analisa o sistema cambial brasileiro e as intervenções cambiais após a implementação do sistema cambial flexível em 1999 e tem como base a abordagem do medo de flutuar , a teoria de intervenções cambiais e a classificação de sistemas cambiais de facto. As evidências encontradas para o Brasil sugerem que as intervenções cambiais ilustram objetivos de redução da dívida cambial e não seguem os objetivos da abordagem do medo de flutuar . Em outros testes empíricos encontra-se uma fraca relação de curto prazo entre taxa de câmbio e taxa de juros domésticos, reservas cambiais, inflação doméstica e dívida pública em proporção ao PIB, e uma forte relação de curto prazo entre taxa de câmbio e risco país, indicando que os movimentos da taxa de câmbio não afetam pesadamente as variáveis da abordagem do medo de flutuar e que, portanto, não há razões para crer que o país sofra desse problema. Confirmando essa idéia, encontra-se que o sistema cambial de facto é compatível com o sistema cambial de jure, apesar de encontrar-se uma baixa flexibilidade cambial. / Mestre em Economia

This thesis aims to analyze the issue of the creation of a state as the most important subject of the international relations, then the concept of international legal personality and especially the territories with controversial international legal personality. The thesis closely analyzes the emergence and recognition of the state and the right of peoples to self-determination in the contrast with the principle of territorial integrity. In the practical part, the case of Kosovo and Western Sahara is examined by a qualitative analysis. It describes the process of these entities becoming independent, the current situation and the diplomatic relations of both entities. It is outlined what Kosovo and Western Sahara are doing to improve their recognition as well as the reasons why some states recognize other entities and some other not. The thesis has a goal to unify the views on the issues of secession and recognition of newly created territories and to show a different approach to the process to independence of Kosovo and Western Sahara by the international community.

Ce mémoire étudie l’industrie touristique comme stratégie de légitimation interne et externe dans les États de facto. En nous basant plus particulièrement sur le cas de la Transnistrie, nous avons employé une analyse mixte se basant sur des données et politiques officielles ainsi que sur des observations photographiques obtenues directement sur le terrain. L’industrie touristique est une stratégie « deux en un » servant à la fois la construction des identités et s’adressant à un public interne et externe. Nos résultats font ressortir l’utilité de cette stratégie à des fins de légitimation tout en établissant l’existence de liens étroits entre le secteur touristique public et privé. Alors que le secteur public est concentré principalement vers la justification de l’existence de l’entité de facto et de son identité distincte, le secteur privé agit comme un agent de liaison avec le monde extérieur et selon les attraits commerciaux et économiques. Malgré l’existence d’une certaine opposition entre les secteurs de l’industrie touristique, nous soutenons qu’ils sont complémentaires et servent l’État transnistrien dans sa quête de légitimation interne et externe. / This paper is interested in the study of tourism and its industry as a strategy for internal and external legitimization in de facto states. Using the particular case of Transnistria, we used a mixed analysis based on official data and policies as well as photographic observations obtained directly on the field. Tourism industry provides a "two-in-one" strategy, serving both identity and state formation and is aimed at both internal and external audiences. Our results highlight the usefulness of this strategy for legitimization purposes while establishing the existence of close links between the public and private tourism sectors. While the public sector is mainly focused on justifying the existence of the de facto state and its distinct identity, the private sector acts as a liaison with the outside world, and according to financial and economical gain. Despite the existence of some opposition between both sectors of the tourism industry, we argue that they are complementary and that they serve the Transnistrian state in its quest for internal and external legitimization.

In recent years, companies have increasingly built their businesses around network effects. Furthermore, ingredient branding has become a frequent occurrence in which companies develop their business model by incorporating their product into other products. During contact with the Swedish company Twiceme Technology and after investigating these phenomenon deeper, it appeared to be unique to have both network effects and ingredient branding in the company’s offering. That's where it was discovered a gap in the existing literature and the decision to learn more about how they're related by empirically studying companies that use network effects or ingredient branding in their business models. The overarching aim of the study is to look at characteristics among these phenomenon and analyze how network effects affect ingredient brands, and how they can be connected together. There were several phases in the empirical analysis method. A case sample group of four companies was analyzed in order to obtain a better understanding of the topic in practice. Following that, based on the previous results, the company Twiceme was evaluated as an ingredient brand with network effects. In order to address the research questions, the data extracted from the case sample group and Twiceme were analyzed and compared to theory.  From the study, it was found that achieving a strong market position for network effect companies is highly dependent on reaching the certain network size where the value of the network starts having an exponential increase. High brand equity in terms of brand awareness and reputation is needed to achieve a strong market position accelerated by network effects. Ingredient brands with network effects can generate synergy effects, allowing the network value to potentially grow even faster as a result of the increased brand equity from ingredient branding.  Based on the conclusions of the study and the proposed evaluation framework, this thesis aims to be useful for managerial decision-making and understanding of network effects and ingredient branding, and when they should explore new market opportunities. It also contributes to academia by presenting a novel research perspective in this field and provides material for future research to continue to investigate this subject. / Under de senaste åren har företag i allt högre grad byggt sina företag kring nätverkseffekter. Dessutom har ingrediensvarumärken blivit en vanlig förekomst där företag bygger sin affärsmodell på att integrera sin produkt i andra företags produkter. Under kontakten med det svenska företaget Twiceme Technology och efter att ha undersökt dessa fenomen, påvisades det vara unikt att både vara ett ingrediensvarumärke och ha nätverkseffekter i företagets erbjudande. Där upptäcktes ett gap i den befintliga litteraturen och beslutet att lära sig mer om hur de kan relateras till varandra genom att empiriskt studera företag som använder nätverkseffekter eller ingrediensvarumärkning i sina affärsmodeller. Studiens övergripande mål var att titta på egenskaper hos de bägge och analysera hur nätverkseffekter påverkar ingrediensvarumärken samt hur de kan sammankopplas. Det fanns flera faser i den empiriska analysmetoden. En fallgrupp med fyra företag analyserades för att få en bättre förståelse för ämnet i praktiken. Efter det, baserat på de tidigare resultaten, utvärderades företaget Twiceme som ett ingrediensvarumärke med nätverkseffekter. För att besvara forskningsfrågorna, analyserades data från fallprovgruppen och Twiceme och jämfördes med teorin. Från studien kan det konstateras att uppnå en stark marknadsposition för nätverkseffektföretag är mycket beroende av att uppnå en viss nätverkstorlek där företagets värdeerbjudande börjar öka exponentiellt. För att uppnå en stark marknadsposition som accelereras av nätverkseffekter behövs högt varumärkesmedvetenhet och anseende. Ingrediensvarumärken med nätverkseffekter kan generera synergieffekter, vilket gör att värdeerbjudandet potentiellt kan växa ännu snabbare till följd av det ökade varumärkeskapitalet från ingrediensvarumärken. Baserat på slutsatserna från studien och det föreslagna ramverket, syftar denna uppsats till att vara användbar för ledningsbeslut och förståelsen för nätverkseffekter och ingrediensvarumärkning, samt när de bör utforska nya marknadsmöjligheter. Det ämnar också till att bidra till akademin genom att presentera ett nytt forskningsperspektiv inom detta område och ge material för framtida forskning att fortsätta att undersöka detta ämne vidare.

Globalizacijos procesų sąlygoti pokyčiai veikia įvairias valstybių sritis, ne išimtis, ir apskaitos reglamentavimas. Verslo vienetų veiklos išplėtimas už savo valstybės ribų sudaro prielaidą apskaitos reglamentavimui tarptautiniu lygmeniu. Dėl šios priežasties 2002 metais buvo nuspręsta dvi didžiausias apskaitos sistemas - JAV ir ES - harmonizuoti. Akivaizdu, jog ši apskaitos harmonizacija yra ypatingos svarbos projektas, kurio rezultatai paveiks ne tik JAV ir ES, bet ir kitų pasaulio šalių verslo vienetus, kurių akcijomis prekiaujama tarptautiniu lygmeniu. Harmonizuoti apskaitos standartai sudarys sąlygas efektyvesnei tarptautinių verslo vienetų veiklai. Tačiau reikia atkreipti dėmesį į tai, jog tarptautinė harmonizacija yra itin daug pastangų reikalaujantis nevienareikšmis procesas. Todėl pravartu pažvelgti į JAV ir ES apskaitos harmonizaciją jos efektyvumo aspektu, t.y. patikrinti, ar toks plataus masto projektas yra praktiškai įgyvendinamas. Darbo tyrimo objektas - JAV ir ES apskaitos harmonizacija. Darbo tikslas - įvertinti JAV ir ES de jure bei de facto apskaitos harmonizacijos įgyvendinimo lygį. Darbo tikslas - įvertinti JAV ir ES de jure bei de facto apskaitos harmonizacijos įgyvendinimo lygį. Siekiant užsibrėžto tikslo, nagrinėjami šie uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizavus apskaitos reglamentavimo skirtumus įvairiuose tyrimuose, suformuoti apibendrintą apskaitos reglamentavimo skirtumų modelį. 2. Atlikti JAV ir ES teorinį apskaitos standartizacijos palyginimą. 3. Įvertinti JAV... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Changes that are caused by globalisation affects various fields in countries with no exception of accounting regulation. An extension of performance of business units makes premise to international accounting regulation. Due to this reason in 2002 was made a resolution to harmonize the biggest two accounting systems – U.S. and EU. This accounting harmonization is obviously a project with exclusive importance and it`s results will affect not only U.S. and EU but also others business units from around the world. Harmonized accounting standards will form the conditions for the more efective performance of international business units. There is the need to take a note of the fact that international harmonization is notably an imperative and one-to-many process, however. Consequently it is to the purpose to take a glance at U.S. and EU accounting harmonization, by it`s effectiveness approach. This way it is possible to examine if this kind of extensive project is practicable. Object of the paper – U.S. and EU accounting harmonization. The aim of the paper – to evaluate the implementation`s level of U.S. and EU de jure and de facto accounting harmonization. In pursuance of the aim there are examining these problems: 1. Form the generalised model of accounting regulation differences. 2. Perform the theoretical comparison of U.S. and EU accounting standartization. 3. Evaluate the formal de jure accounting harmonization of U.S. and EU. 4. Execute an analysis of methodology of... [to full text]

This dissertation consists of essays that study exchange rate pass-through, China’s de facto exchange rate regime, and China’s capital controls. The first essay studies exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) by using a set of data from ten countries including four advanced economies and six Asian emerging markets. The price indices used in this essay include consumer price, producer price, import price and export price indices. While most literature only include the import price index, this essay also puts emphasis on the export price index. It investigates the asymmetry in the ERPT between depreciation and appreciation of domestic currency by using a non-linear OLS model; meanwhile, the short-run and long-run effects of ERPT are also compared with each other. It also detects possible structural change in the ERPT and finds most structural change points are around the Great Recession and Asia financial crisis. Finally, a VAR model is developed to detect the impulse responses of prices to exchange rate shock. The second essay is about China’s exchange rate regime. It has changed a lot since the 2005 reform. It is interesting and important to investigate China’s de facto exchange rate regime with the most recent data. This essay follows Frankel and Wei’s (2008) method, by applying both the basic model and new model with the exchange market pressure (EMP) variable to currency basket for the Chinese yuan exchange rate. I select the US dollar, the Euro, the British pound, the Japanese yen, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar and the Russian ruble as component currencies of the basket, based on free floaters, GDP and trade volume. I also add results from a VAR model, considering the endogeneity issue, and the results are consistent with those of OLS. I find the weight of the US dollar declines dramatically and the variation of the Chinese yuan becomes much larger after 2015. This implies that China has been transferring its exchange rate regime from dollar pegged to free floating. The third essay investigates the effectiveness of China’s capital controls. In recent years, after 2014, China’s foreign reserves declined dramatically, from 4 trillion US dollars to 3 trillion US dollars. There was a huge amount of capital outflows from China during 2015 to 2016. This phenomenon lets us reconsider the question: Are China’s capital controls still effective? I will use five methods to measure the effectiveness of China’s capital controls, including de jure indicators, saving-investment correlation test, covered interest rate parity, real interest rate differentials and Edwards-Kahn model. The de jure indicators I use are from Fernández et al. (2016) and Chinn and Ito (2008). I compare China with the US, the UK and Japan in the saving-investment correlation test, and with the Eurozone and Japan in covered interest rate parity, real interest rate differentials and Edwards-Kahn model. Various results indicate that China’s capital controls are still effective.

No description available.

Este estudo visou a investigar fatores de risco e de proteção em crianças e adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social e pessoal. Participantes que vivem com suas famílias e vão à escola e que foram definidos a priori como membros da amostra, devido à situação de pobreza, foram comparadas àqueles que vivem em abrigos. Como fatores de risco foram avaliados eventos estressores, afeto negativo e depressão. Como fatores de proteção foram avaliados satisfação de vida e afeto positivo. 297 participantes, de sete a 16 anos, de ambos os sexos foram distribuídos em dois grupos: G1, 142 crianças que vivem com sua família e G2, 155 que moram em instituições. Foram submetidos à entrevista estruturada, e a inventários de eventos estressores na infância e na adolescência, e de depressão infantil, e escalas de afeto positivo e negativo e multidimensional de satisfação de vida. Os resultados confirmaram que em relação aos contextos de desenvolvimento, as crianças institucionalizadas (p<0,001) têm mais eventos estressores, afeto negativo e depressão, e isso as coloca em uma situação de maior vulnerabilidade. No entanto, as crianças institucionalizadas não diferenciam das crianças que vivem com a família no nível de satisfação de vida e de afeto positivo (p>0,05). Entre os sexos, apenas no afeto negativo, as meninas apresentaram escores mais altos que os meninos (p<0,05). Não há diferenças entre os sexos em diversos aspectos investigados, entre eles: afeto positivo, depressão, satisfação de vida e no número de eventos estressores vividos (p>0,05). Os dados deste estudo revelaram ainda que o afeto negativo, o afeto positivo, a freqüência de eventos estressores e o índice de depressão se mostraram preditores para a satisfação de vida. Apesar das adversidades vividas foi possível identificar processos de resiliência, porque se verificaram atitudes de enfrentamento e tentativas de superação das situações adversas. / This study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors in the lives of at risk children and adolescents. Poverty was considered as an a priori inclusive condition for the participants, and those who lived with their families and attended school (G1, n= 142) were compared to those who lived in shelters (G2, n= 155). As risk factors were appraised stressing events, negative affect, and depression. As protective factors were appraised life satisfaction and positive affect. 297 participants, from seven to 16 years, of both sexes were submitted to a structured interview, and to inventories and scales to assess the mentoned factors. Sheltered children (G2; p <0,001) informed more stressing events, higher negative affect and depression than G1, which reported that they are at a situation of vulnerability. However, the institutionalized children do not differentiate when assessed the level of life satisfaction and of positive affect (p >0,05). Girls presented higher scores of negative affect than boys (p <0,05). There were no differences between gender in positive affect, depression, life satisfaction, and in the frequency of stressing events (p >0,05). The data of this study revealed although that the levels of negative and positive affect, the frequency of stressing events, and the scores of depression may be considered as preditors for the life satisfaction. In spite of the lived adversities it was possible to identify resilience processes.

Este estudo visou a investigar fatores de risco e de proteção em crianças e adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social e pessoal. Participantes que vivem com suas famílias e vão à escola e que foram definidos a priori como membros da amostra, devido à situação de pobreza, foram comparadas àqueles que vivem em abrigos. Como fatores de risco foram avaliados eventos estressores, afeto negativo e depressão. Como fatores de proteção foram avaliados satisfação de vida e afeto positivo. 297 participantes, de sete a 16 anos, de ambos os sexos foram distribuídos em dois grupos: G1, 142 crianças que vivem com sua família e G2, 155 que moram em instituições. Foram submetidos à entrevista estruturada, e a inventários de eventos estressores na infância e na adolescência, e de depressão infantil, e escalas de afeto positivo e negativo e multidimensional de satisfação de vida. Os resultados confirmaram que em relação aos contextos de desenvolvimento, as crianças institucionalizadas (p<0,001) têm mais eventos estressores, afeto negativo e depressão, e isso as coloca em uma situação de maior vulnerabilidade. No entanto, as crianças institucionalizadas não diferenciam das crianças que vivem com a família no nível de satisfação de vida e de afeto positivo (p>0,05). Entre os sexos, apenas no afeto negativo, as meninas apresentaram escores mais altos que os meninos (p<0,05). Não há diferenças entre os sexos em diversos aspectos investigados, entre eles: afeto positivo, depressão, satisfação de vida e no número de eventos estressores vividos (p>0,05). Os dados deste estudo revelaram ainda que o afeto negativo, o afeto positivo, a freqüência de eventos estressores e o índice de depressão se mostraram preditores para a satisfação de vida. Apesar das adversidades vividas foi possível identificar processos de resiliência, porque se verificaram atitudes de enfrentamento e tentativas de superação das situações adversas. / This study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors in the lives of at risk children and adolescents. Poverty was considered as an a priori inclusive condition for the participants, and those who lived with their families and attended school (G1, n= 142) were compared to those who lived in shelters (G2, n= 155). As risk factors were appraised stressing events, negative affect, and depression. As protective factors were appraised life satisfaction and positive affect. 297 participants, from seven to 16 years, of both sexes were submitted to a structured interview, and to inventories and scales to assess the mentoned factors. Sheltered children (G2; p <0,001) informed more stressing events, higher negative affect and depression than G1, which reported that they are at a situation of vulnerability. However, the institutionalized children do not differentiate when assessed the level of life satisfaction and of positive affect (p >0,05). Girls presented higher scores of negative affect than boys (p <0,05). There were no differences between gender in positive affect, depression, life satisfaction, and in the frequency of stressing events (p >0,05). The data of this study revealed although that the levels of negative and positive affect, the frequency of stressing events, and the scores of depression may be considered as preditors for the life satisfaction. In spite of the lived adversities it was possible to identify resilience processes.

abstract: The National Research Council 2011 report lists quantifying the extent of de facto (or unplanned) potable reuse in the U.S. as the top research need associated with assessing the potential for expanding the nations water supply through reuse of municipal wastewater. Efforts to identify the significance and potential health impacts of de facto water reuse are impeded by out dated information regarding the contribution of municipal wastewater effluent to potable water supplies. This project aims to answer this research need. The overall goal of the this project is to quantify the extent of de facto reuse by developing a model that estimates the amount of wastewater effluent that is present within drinking water treatment plants; and to use the model in conjunction with a survey to help assess public perceptions. The four-step approach to accomplish this goal includes: (1) creating a GIS-based model coupled with Python programming; (2) validating the model with field studies by analyzing sucralose as a wastewater tracer; (3) estimating the percentage of wastewater in raw drinking water sources under varying streamflow conditions; (4) and assessing through a social survey the perceptions of the general public relating to acceptance and occurrence of de facto reuse. The resulting De Facto Reuse in our Nations Consumable Supply (DRINCS) Model, estimates that treated municipal wastewater is present at nearly 50% of drinking water treatment plant intake sites serving greater than 10,000 people (N=2,056). Contrary to the high frequency of occurrence, the magnitude of occurrence is relatively low with 50% of impacted intakes yielding less than 1% de facto reuse under average streamflow conditions. Model estimates increase under low flow conditions (modeled by Q95), in several cases treated wastewater makes up 100% of the water supply. De facto reuse occurs at levels that surpass what is publically perceived in the three cities of Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, and Phoenix, AZ. Respondents with knowledge of de facto reuse occurrence are 10 times more likely to have a high acceptance (greater than 75%) of treated wastewater at their home tap. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering 2014