Prior research shows that race remains a significant factor of inequality in the U.S. The extent to which Asian Americans face discrimination in the labor market is also a subject of considerable debate. Thus, studying labor market inequality of Asian Americans is important for our better understanding of current/future race relations in the U.S. In doing so, the role of region and migration remain key factors that have not been much taken into account in the prior research, although they play an important role in assessing whether Asian Americans have reached labor market parity with non-Hispanic whites. This research therefore investigates migration and regional aspects affecting the wages of Asian American men. More specifically, this study investigates whether wage determination and regional migration are indeed interrelated among Asian Americans, and the extent to which important migration and regional characteristics of Asian Americans differ from those of whites. Because prior research has limited scope examining these important factors, this study investigates various hypotheses together, to broadly understand the complicated processes across migration patterns, regional aspects, and labor market outcomes among Asian American men. Using the 5-Percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), the results indicate the significance of region of residence and migration processes for understanding the wages of Asian American men, as well as the extent to which they differ from whites. For example, this research finds that region and regional distribution matter in the wages of Asian Americans, because cost of living expense is significantly higher for Asian Americans. Indeed, this study finds that Asian American men do not face a substantial disadvantage in the U.S. labor market, net of cost of living, demographic, and class factors. Prior research shows that Asian Americans had faced significant direct and overt racial discrimination in the labor market before World War II. Then this achievement of parity represents a historic change for Asian Americas. Namely, racial and ethnic discrimination in the post-Civil Rights era has been ameliorated at least for Asian Americans. Findings of this research show that taking regional migration into account does not alter this fundamental and significant conclusion. Furthermore, the regional aspect (i.e., higher cost of living for Asian Americans) does not explain why Asian Americans have socioeconomic parity with whites. Although what this conclusion implies about race relations for other minority groups remains debatable, the post-Civil Rights era appears to be characterized with the greater acceptance of Asian Americans, rather than the extensive and persuasive occupational disadvantages and other forms of discrimination that were commonly found in the pre-World War II era. / text

The taxonomic composition, structure, and diversity of current local species assemblages results from an interacting complex of historical, regional ecological and local ecological factors. Structural differences between such current species assemblages are primarily determined by changing ecological conditions across spatial gradients. These conditions may change abruptly or they may represent a gradual divergence. Across the Botswana Kalahari basin there is a gradual northeast-southwest aridity and dung type gradient, which was demonstrated to strongly influence dung beetle assemblage structure at six study sites from Chobe National Park to the Central Kalahari Reserve to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park using carrion and four dung types as bait (pig, elephant, cattle, sheep). Regional patterns were primarily influenced by climate (rainfall) while dung type mainly showed a local influence on patterns of variation. Four distinct biogeographical groups were defined for the study region comprising widespread, northeast/widespread, northeast, and arid southwest Kalahari-centred species. Biogeographical diversity was higher in the more mesic NE than the arid SW but varied somewhat between bait types. In the SW, Kalahari endemics dominated all bait types. In general, abundance and species richness declined along the aridity gradient although the pattern was uneven due to low numbers in the north of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Species showed high turnover (beta – diversity), particularly between the moister NE and the Kalahari/Savanna ecotone. Hierarchical Analysis of Oblique Factors showed statistically distinct separation between assemblage structure at the six study sites and that the proportion of mesic NE shared influence on assemblage composition declined towards the SW where there was an increase in Kalahari endemics. Similarly the proportion of arid SW shared influence declined towards the NE. Plotting these results onto a map showed that the point of intersection between shared NE or SW influence lay very close to the ecotone between SW (Kalahari Xeric Savanna) and NE-centred ecoregions (Acacia-Baikiaea Savanna) defined for the area by Olson et al. (2001). In terms of dung type diversity, increasing aridity across the Kalahari represents a gradient of diminishing resources with the loss of large dung types to the SW and increasing dominance of dung pellets. Several different patterns of response were shown using different methods. Four principal patterns of bait type association were indicated by one method. Another method showed that, rather than diminishing numbers of competing species leading to widening niche widths to the SW, niche widths were narrowest at the Kalahari / mesic Savanna ecotone. Using several other multivariate techniques, three different patterns of dung type resource partitioning were demonstrated that paralleled the aridity gradient, one common to the NE and two to the SW. The historical, regional and local ecological factors influencing these patterns of dung beetle assemblage structure are discussed as well as implications and recommendations for conservation. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

The relative importance of local and regional factors to community build-up is a core issue in contemporary ecology. Studies based on research of newly created aquatic habitats may improve understanding of these processes. We monitored zooplankton colonization rates and community assemblage in 20 newly dug and isolated temporary pools in Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area. The region is characterised by deep stream valleys, extensive land use, low human influence, low waterfowl migration activity and practically absence of large water bodies. After the first hyproperiod all temporary pools were rebuilt to a permanent form. In contrast to expectations, in both cases we observed immediate colonization of newly created habitats by two main groups of zooplankton (crustaceans and rotifers), but only rotifers (Rotifera) were capable of fast successful establishment of viable populations. Cladocerans (Crustacea: Cladocera) and copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda) were observed rarely and usually in low abundances (< 1 ind-l ). 10 months after the filling of permanent pools one ostracod species (Crustacea: Ostracoda), Notodromas monacha, was recorded as well. During the 8 months of temporary pools existence the presence of 1 cladoceran and 1 cyclopoid copepod species and 12 rotifer taxa was recorded, icluding...

В современной экономике малое предпринимательство играет большую роль как в создании рабочих мест в регионах, так и в создании ВВП. Однако в России малое предпринимательство сталкивается со многими проблемами, поэтому необходимо понять, какие именно региональные факторы способствуют развитию малого бизнеса. Целью магистерской диссертации является разработка эконометрической модели для оценки влияния региональных факторов на развитие малого предпринимательства в регионах России. Анализ, проведенный в работе, основывается на изучении зарубежной и отечественной литературы по теме малого предпринимательства. В качестве источников информации использовались данные Федеральной службы государственной статистики, ФНС и Единой межведомственной информационно-статистической системы (ЕМИСС). В ходе написания магистерской диссертации была разработана и апробирована эконометрическая модель для оценки влияния региональных факторов на развитие малого предпринимательства в России и ее регионах, которая предназначена выявить, какие факторы являются основополагающими для развития малого предпринимательства в регионах России. Основываясь на полученные результаты исследования, были предложены рекомендации по совершенствованию государственной политики, направленной на стимулирование развития малого предпринимательства. / In nowadays economy small entrepreneurship play a huge role both in employment providing and contribution to GDP. However, small entrepreneurship in Russian economy faces many problems. That is why it is important to understand which regional factors particularly support small business development. The aim of the master thesis is to develop an econometric model for assessment of impact of regional factors on small entrepreneurship in Russian regions. The analysis, provided in the work, is based on Russian and foreign literature on the topic of small enterprises. As information sources Federal State Statistics Service, Federal Tax Service of Russia and Unified intra-departmental information-statistical system were used. During the work on master thesis an econometric model for assessment of regional factors influence on small entrepreneurship in Russia and its regions was developed and tested. The model is demanded to determine which factors are main for small entrepreneurship development in Russian regions. According to the results of research, recommendations on governmental policy improvement were suggested, which has to stimulate small business development.