Pastaruoju metu naujai įregistruojamų įmonių skaičius Lietuvoje didėja. Didėjant naujų įmonių skaičiui, efektyvus organizavimas ir valdymas tampa svarbiu konkurenciniu ūkio subjekto pranašumu rinkoje, todėl įmonių organizavimo ir valdymo tobulinimo galimybių tyrimai yra labai aktualūs. Darbo objektas yra naujai kuriamos įmonės organizavimas ir valdymas. Pagrindinis darbo tikslas – įvertinti naujai kuriamos įmonės organizavimo problemas ir apibrėžti valdymo tobulinimo kryptis UAB “Telenas“ atveju. Darbo tikslas ir jam įgyvendinti numatyti uždaviniai suponuoja ir atitinkamą darbo struktūrą: pirmoje darbo dalyje analizuojami teoriniai naujų įmonių valdymo ir organizavimo pagrindai; antrajame darbo skyriuje įvertinamos esminės UAB „Telenas“ valdymo ir organizavimo problemos; trečiasis darbo skyrius skirtas UAB „Telenas“ valdymo ir organizavimo tobulinimo krypčių formulavimui. Rašant darbą pagrindinis dėmesys buvo skirtas literatūros rinkimui bei jos analizei ir gautų rezultatų panaudojimas teoriniams ir praktiniams sprendimams. Teoriniams sprendimams panaudota literatūra lietuvių, anglų bei rusų kalbomis. / Nowadays the quantity of recently established companies is becoming larger in Lithuania. As the number of not long ago established companies is becoming larger, efficient management and organizing becomes an important competetive advantage in the market and due to this, the surveys of organizing and management development are very important. The object of this work is organizing and management of recently established company. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the primary problems of recently established company and to identify primary development trends. The puropse and tasks of this paper have supposed the relevant structure of this work: initially, in the first chapter the reader is primed about the theoretical aspects of organizing and management peculiarities, problems and trends; after then practical aspect of the problem are analyzed (“Telenas” company case); the third chapter is up for formulating trends for developing organizing and management in “Telenas” company. While preparing this paper the primary attention was up for searching and analysis of the literature in order to apply the results for theoretical and practical presumptions. Scientifical literature in lithuanian, english and russian was used for preparing master thesis.

When the data warehouse concept was first introduced by IBM as a part of their new information system in 1988, the first step in the field of modern decision support systems or business intelligence was taken. Since then, academics, practitioners and solution developers have put a considerable effort in introducing new trends of these systems. Each new trend has roots in what enterprises demand from these systems. The advances in Web technologies and social media, has led to introduction of new trends such as Cloud BI and Big Data which are both cost-effective and also have the potential to take advantage of semi-structured and unstructured data within organizations. This paper deals with these new trends and the influences of organizational demands and new technologies and tools on them. A deep literature review deals with four major BI trends in detail. (Data warehouse, Business Performance Management (BPM), Cloud BI and Big Data). Two case studies from local Business intelligence developers are carried out in order to explore the influences mentioned above. As the result of this study, a model is proposed that addresses the elements that affect the BI trends, both in organizational and technological perspectives. It is observed that despite the fact that lots of new trends have been introduced in the past years (e.g. Cloud BI and Big Data), it does not necessarily mean that older trends are becoming obsolete. Data warehouses and BPM systems are still being used vastly in the industry. However, the later trends can be offered to clients that have the demand for them. The results imply that Cloud BI is mainly suitable for companies with low initial budgets and Big Data can be adopted by organizations that want to exploit their social data sources. The mere fact that both implied trends are built upon their preceding ones, has transformed data warehouses and BPM approach the ground work for any new trends to come.

The purpose of this thesis is to present and analyze population developments within Umeå municipality during the period 1992 to 2012. The study also aims to discuss growth trends presented in previous papers to seek common factors and get a deeper understanding. Data for 1992, 2002 and 2012 on a sub area level supplied by Umeå municipality was used. The study shows a continued positive development across almost all sub areas, but a differing growth rate from centre to periphery, and also a diversified medium age among the inhabitants. While the city center continues to have the highest growth of population during the studied years, a recent trend seems to point to a growing popularity to settle in the outskirts of the municipality, primarily near the coast. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att presentera och analysera befolkningsutvecklingen inom Umeå kommun för tidsperioden 1992 till 2012. Studien syftar även på att diskutera befolkningstrender presenterade i tidigare studier för att hitta gemensamma faktorer och få en djupare uppfattning. Undersökningen bygger på kvantitativ data för nyckelkodsområden under åren 1992, 2002 och 2012 som erhölls från Umeå kommun. Undersökningen visar en fortsatt positiv utveckling över nästan alla nyckelkodsområden i kommunen, men en skiftande trend i tillväxttakt mellan kommunens center och periferi, samt en diversifierad medelålder bland befolkningen. Medan Umeå stad har den fortsatt högsta tillväxten under de studerade åren verkar en ny trend peka mot en ökad efterfrågan att bosätta sig vid utkanten av kommunen, primärt i närheten av kusten.

The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the fate of perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) in biological systems. During the past several years, it has been shown that wildlife are ubiquitously contaminated with two classes of PFCs, the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (CxF2x+1C(O)OH, PFCAs) and sulfonates (CxF2x+1SO3H, PFSAs). However, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding how wildlife are accumulating these PFCs, particularly in remote areas such as the Canadian arctic. The potential for fluorotelomer acrylate monomers (CxF2x+1CH2CH2OC(O)CH=CH2, FTAcs) to act as precursors to PFCAs through atmospheric oxidation was investigated using smog chamber experiments. FTAc atmospheric fate is determined by OH radical reaction with a lifetime of approximately 1 day. The sole primary product of this reaction was the 4:2 fluorotelomer glyoxylate which is expected to undergo further atmospheric oxidation or photolysis to ultimately yield PFCAs. Temporal and spatial trends of PFCs in arctic ringed seals and seabirds were investigated to assist in understanding PFC transport mechanisms to remote regions. In ringed seals, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels decreased rapidly, coinciding with the phase out by the major manufacturer. These findings are consistent with volatile precursors as the dominant source of PFCs to arctic wildlife. The bioaccumulation and biotransformation of the 8:2 FTAc was investigated in two complimentary studies with rainbow trout. During the in vivo dietary exposure study, fish rapidly accumulated and biotransformed the 8:2 FTAc, with intermediate metabolites observed within 1 hour of dosing. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA) were formed and accumulated in low yields. The carboxylesterase activity in the trout liver and stomach was investigated using in vivo sub-cellular (S9) incubations. Very high esterase activities were shown with approximately equal efficiency in the stomach and liver. The metabolic pathway of the 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (8:2 FTOH) was investigated by separately dosing whole rainbow trout with three intermediate metabolites that represented important branching points. The 7:3 fluorotelomer saturated carboxylate (FTCA) did not form PFOA, but formed PFHpA and the 7:3 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylate (FTUCA). The 8:2 FTCA and 8:2 FTUCA did form PFOA, confirming a “beta-like-oxidation” mechanism.

The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the fate of perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) in biological systems. During the past several years, it has been shown that wildlife are ubiquitously contaminated with two classes of PFCs, the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (CxF2x+1C(O)OH, PFCAs) and sulfonates (CxF2x+1SO3H, PFSAs). However, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding how wildlife are accumulating these PFCs, particularly in remote areas such as the Canadian arctic. The potential for fluorotelomer acrylate monomers (CxF2x+1CH2CH2OC(O)CH=CH2, FTAcs) to act as precursors to PFCAs through atmospheric oxidation was investigated using smog chamber experiments. FTAc atmospheric fate is determined by OH radical reaction with a lifetime of approximately 1 day. The sole primary product of this reaction was the 4:2 fluorotelomer glyoxylate which is expected to undergo further atmospheric oxidation or photolysis to ultimately yield PFCAs. Temporal and spatial trends of PFCs in arctic ringed seals and seabirds were investigated to assist in understanding PFC transport mechanisms to remote regions. In ringed seals, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels decreased rapidly, coinciding with the phase out by the major manufacturer. These findings are consistent with volatile precursors as the dominant source of PFCs to arctic wildlife. The bioaccumulation and biotransformation of the 8:2 FTAc was investigated in two complimentary studies with rainbow trout. During the in vivo dietary exposure study, fish rapidly accumulated and biotransformed the 8:2 FTAc, with intermediate metabolites observed within 1 hour of dosing. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA) were formed and accumulated in low yields. The carboxylesterase activity in the trout liver and stomach was investigated using in vivo sub-cellular (S9) incubations. Very high esterase activities were shown with approximately equal efficiency in the stomach and liver. The metabolic pathway of the 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (8:2 FTOH) was investigated by separately dosing whole rainbow trout with three intermediate metabolites that represented important branching points. The 7:3 fluorotelomer saturated carboxylate (FTCA) did not form PFOA, but formed PFHpA and the 7:3 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylate (FTUCA). The 8:2 FTCA and 8:2 FTUCA did form PFOA, confirming a “beta-like-oxidation” mechanism.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the United States and globally, and impacts many aspects of health. To understand the contribution of body weight to chronic diseases such as diabetes, it is necessary to characterize secular and longitudinal weight trends prior to evaluating the weight effects that may result from medical interventions. The cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that mean body weight in the adult population increased from 152 lb (69 kg) to 181 lb (82 kg) between 1959 and 2008. However, there are no previously published studies on secular or longitudinal weight trends in a veteran population. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to describe secular and longitudinal trends in body weight for a large population of male and female individuals with and without diabetes in the Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system, the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. METHODS: Retrospective observational analysis of data from VA facilities throughout the United States, in patients who had at least 4 outpatient visits within any consecutive 4-year interval during 2000–2014. The dataset included men and women with and without type 2 diabetes. The primary outcomes were longitudinal trends in body weight stratified by birth cohort, sex, and diabetes status. RESULTS: A total of 4,680,735 unique patients, 1,666,346 with diabetes, were included in the analysis. Regressions were performed on the patient-level data and segmented by birth cohort. A total of 176,034,543 weight observations were included in the analysis, with a median of 15 to 36 weight observations per patient in individuals without diabetes, and a median of 22 to 49 weight observations in individuals with diabetes across birth cohorts. In the year 2000, the y-intercept for the regression equations indicated a mean body weight for men without diabetes of 188 lb (85 kg), for women without diabetes of 166 lb (75 kg), for men with diabetes of 213 lb (97 kg), and for women with diabetes of 195 lb (88 kg). Secular trends in body weight during the study period had median linear increases of 0.53 lb/y (0.24 kg/y) in men with diabetes, 0.50 lb/y (0.23 kg/y) in women with diabetes, 0.53 lb/y (0.24 kg/y) in men without diabetes, and 0.86 lb/y (0.39 kg/y) among women without diabetes, respectively. In cohorts born before 1940, body weight decreased. In the cohorts born between 1940-1949, body weight was stable. In all cohorts born after 1950, body weight increased. Across birth cohorts, the rate of weight increase accelerated from older to younger groups, with higher rates in the groups with diabetes than in the groups without diabetes: β2 = 0.0260 lb2/y (0.01179 kg2/y) in men without diabetes, 0.0398 lb2/y (0.01805 kg2/y) in men with diabetes, 0.0127 lb2/y (0.00576 kg2/y) in women without diabetes, and 0.0895 lb2/y (0.04060 kg2/y) in women with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of secular and longitudinal weight trends in a large, contemporary veteran population that includes both men and women. Consistent with findings from the Normative Aging Study, a longitudinal study of male veterans from the northeastern United States, weight changes varied from decreases among the oldest birth cohorts to increases in the youngest birth cohorts. Secular changes in body weight by birth cohort were consistent with the patterns reported in the Global Burden of Disease Study. The rate of weight change is accelerated in all younger birth cohorts relative to all older birth cohorts, with the highest rates in women with diabetes. Further analyses of this dataset are recommended to elucidate clinical characteristics associated with longitudinal weight change among individuals with and without diabetes in the veteran population.

The advent of advanced means of communication, faster modes of transportation and sophisticated trading technologies has facilitated economic and financial integration across the world. The emergence of globalization in the last two decades has transformed the economic outlook and perceptions of consumers, investors and policymakers. Consumers have a vast range of goods and services to choose from, investors seeking to maximize profits and minimize risks have access to markets worldwide and last, but not least, policymakers can harness the benefits accruing from international trade to abet economic growth and development. Although augmented economic and financial integration has its benefits, it does have its pitfalls as well. Highly synchronized financial and goods markets are relatively less insulated from disturbances or shocks arising in foreign markets. This synchrony makes these markets more susceptible to foreign shocks, thus, compromising their economic autonomy. Accordingly, the issue economic interdependence among countries warrants a detailed investigation. This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay investigates exchange rate dynamics among the ASEAN-5 economies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The second essay is dedicated to a detailed analysis of real and monetary interrelationships among the economies of Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US. In the third essay, the short-term and the long-term co-movements among the price of crude oil and the real exchange rates of the Canadian Dollar and the Norwegian Krone are examined. Exchange rate movements are central to international trade and finance as they directly impact the relative price of goods and services in domestic and foreign markets. Fluctuations in exchange rates can have a significant bearing on the terms of trade and the value of foreign asset holdings. Moreover, they can potentially transmit economic shocks across countries. Consequently, exchange rate dynamics are of keen interest to investors and policymakers alike. In the first essay, common trends and common cycles among the exchange rates of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are investigated in detail. We identify and isolate the permanent and transitory components of the nominal exchange rates of the currencies of Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in an effort to examine the similitude of their responses to within-country and across-country economic disturbances in the long-run as well as in the short-run. This also allows us to ascertain the relative impacts of permanent and transitory shocks on the behavior of the observed exchange rate series. We find that a large proportion of economic and financial shocks have a dual impact on the behavior of the exchange rates, i.e., while a proportion of the impact of certain shocks is transitory and fades away with time, there is a persistent proportion of these shocks that alters the long-run path of the exchange rates. Thus, most shocks cannot be considered as exclusively transitory or permanent. It is observed that in the case of pegged exchange rate regimes, the trend and cyclical components move in opposite directions and offset the impacts of one another. The small open economies of Norway and Sweden rely extensively on foreign trade. Outside the Scandinavian group of countries, Germany and the UK are two of their biggest trading partners within the European Union (EU), while the US is one of their largest non-EU trading partners. Real and monetary disturbances in one or more countries can easily be transmitted to other countries that are linked through channels of trade. Consequently, the assessment of the impact of foreign shocks on the domestic economy is central to the formulation of economic policy. In light of this, the second essay is dedicated to the investigation of the impact of real and monetary disturbances arising in the major trading partners of Norway and Sweden on their respective price levels and outputs. Such an assessment may provide useful insights into the nature of the transmission mechanism of economic disturbances across these countries and may prove to be useful in the formulation and conduct of monetary policy. The central banks of Norway and Sweden seek output stability while explicitly targeting pre-specified inflation rates in order to conduct monetary policy. The achievement of such quantitative targets relies considerably on the forecasts of the target variables themselves, and of the impact of the changes in the instrument variables that are adjusted to achieve the targets. Our results indicate that output shocks have a more significant impact than monetary shocks on the GDPs of both Norway and Sweden. While the GDPs of Norway and Sweden are predominantly influenced by output shocks originating in Norway and Sweden in the short-run, the output shocks originating in the larger economies of the UK and the US dominate the variation in the GDPs of Norway and Sweden in the long-run. We find that monetary shocks have a more significant impact than real shocks on the CPI variables of both Norway and Sweden. Specifically, the monetary shocks originating in Norway, Sweden and the UK are found to be more significant than those originating in the US. Crude oil constitutes a large proportion of exports for Canada and Norway. In fact, they are two of the largest net exporters of crude oil in the world. Therefore, oil price shocks may significantly impact the trade balance of these countries, thereby, prompting their monetary and fiscal authorities to intervene. The nature and the degree of the intervention would depend significantly on the assessment as to whether these shocks are permanent and/or transitory. Accordingly, the links among the trends and cycles in the price of crude oil, the real exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar and the real exchange rate of the Norwegian Krone are investigated in the third essay. We address this issue by ascertaining the presence of common trends and common cycles among the price of crude oil and the two real exchange rates, and then decomposing them into their trend and cyclical components in a multivariate modeling framework. We find that, while the real exchange rates of the Canadian Dollar and the Norwegian Krone vis-à-vis the US Dollar are trend-dominated, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price is neither trend-dominated nor cycle-dominated. We also find evidence for a positive relationship among the cyclical components of the WTI crude oil price and the two real exchange rates. As a robustness check, common trends and common cycles among the Brent crude oil price denominated in Euros, and the real exchange rates of the Canadian Dollar and the Norwegian Krone vis-à-vis the Euro are also examined. As in the previous case, we find evidence for the presence of common trends as well as common cycles. The positive co-movement among the cyclical components of the price of crude oil and the real exchange rates appears to be robust to changes in the numeraire currency. However, we observe a slight contrast in the co-movement among the trend components of the three variables when different numeraire currencies are used. The composition of the dissertation is as follows: The first chapter serves as an introduction to the dissertation and presents a broad picture of the analyses undertaken in this dissertation. Chapters two, three and four comprise essays one, two and three respectively. Chapter five concludes the dissertation.

This thesis identifies and studies Qur’ans produced in the eastern Islamic world between the 4th/10th and 6th/12th centuries. The period coincides with major transformations in the environment of Qur’an production: the replacement of “Kufic” with newer types of scripts; the use of paper instead of parchment as a writing material; and the introduction of the vertical format, which gradually replaced the old horizontal format of Qur’an manuscripts. It was during this period that the Seljuqs and Ghaznavids rose to power alongside other local dynasties in the eastern Islamic world following the breakdown of the Abbasid Empire in the 4th/10th century. The boundaries between these different empires, however, did not prevent the mobility of craftsmen to, from and within Greater Iran. The extant Qur’ans from this period point to a shared visual vocabulary due to the fluidity of borders and the mobility of motifs. Yet, within this common language, local trends emerged defying unified dynastic or regional labels. The similarities and differences in Qur’ans produced in Iraq, Iran, Syria, the Jazira, Khurasan and Transoxiana attest to this idea. At the turn of the 5th/11th century, new scripts were being stylised while the illumination was in continuity with past traditions. Qur’ans that survive from Greater Iran, Baghdad and Cairo, studied in the first and second chapters, point to local manners of script and illumination stylisation. Some of their epigraphic and decorative forms find parallels on architecture, pottery, and coins pointing to the travel of motifs not only across geographic boundaries but also across artistic fields. The third chapter identifies a group of Qur’ans copied in the first half of the 5th/11th century in Nishapur and hence represent a local style of Qur’an production. Imperial Ghaznavid and Ghurid Qur’ans copied between the second half of the 5th/11th century and the 6th/12th century, studied in the fourth and fifth chapters, exemplify trends of Qur’anic script and illumination in Khurasan. The aesthetic of the Ghaznavid Qur’ans is rooted in earlier traditions with links to Baghdad and Nishapur while that of the Ghurid Qur’ans appear in continuity with the Ghaznavid yet with new features. Their visual vocabulary resonates with the local eclectic style of architectural decoration and the ceramics, metalwork, coins and silk produced in Greater Iran. A section of the fourth chapter investigates the work of al-warrāq al-ghaznawī (the Warrāq from Ghazna), a recurrent title in the colophons of Ghaznavid Qur’ans that points to a collaborative work environment, and offers insights into the production of these Qur’ans. Based on similarities with the Ghaznavid and Ghurid corpus, additional Qur’ans are attributed to Khurasan and Transoxiana in the sixth chapter. Their visual languages also draw from Qur’anic and non-Qur’anic artistic productions of Khurasan and largely that of Greater Iran. Finally, Qur’ans copied in the 6th/12th century in the Central Islamic lands appear to be mutually related and further apart from those produced in Khurasan yet with visible links. The seventh and eighth chapters examine the aesthetic diversity in Qur’ans produced in Iran. Iraq, the Jazira and Syria. Their distinct features point to local stylisation of script and illumination that was shaped from the fluidity of motifs throughout the Mashriq.

Macrossomia fetal significa feto grande ou com sobrepeso, mais recentemente chamado de recém-nascido grande para idade gestacional. Diversos fatores afetam a distribuição do peso corporal fetal tais como a idade gestacional, tamanho materno, hereditariedade, estado socioeconômico, origem étnica entre tantos outros. Conseqüentemente, observa-se uma morbidade aumentada nesta situação. A tendência temporal da macrossomia foi avaliada em estudos realizados em outros países e mostrou aumento gradativo de sua prevalência, além de uma distribuição geográfica heterogênea. Objetivos: Avaliar a tendência temporal da macrossomia fetal em todo território brasileiro considerando fatores determinantes reconhecidamente responsáveis por interferirem no peso dos recém-nascidos. Mapear e identificar conglomerados de macrossomia fetal no território brasileiro e fatores espacialmente correlacionados.Para investigação da tendência temporal foram realizados levantamentos descritivos sobre 14.509.859 declarações de nascidos vivos do Sistema Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC) de 26 Unidades da Federação mais o Distrito Federal. As estatísticas descritivas foram apresentas sob a forma de tabelas para freqüências absolutas e relativas, médias aritméticas e descrições geométricas através de gráficos. Dados de 2.858.627 declarações de nascidos vivos do Sistema Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC) do ano de 2004 foram usados para realizar a parte da pesquisa sobre análise geográfica. A estatística espacial foi a metodologia utilizada para testar a presença de conglomerados e identificar sua localização aproximada. A contextualização geográfica espacial foi feita com o modelo Conditional Auto Regressive (CAR) sobre o mapa do Brasil desagregado em microrregiões. A prevalência geral da macrossomia entre 2000 e 2004 foi de 5,4%, iniciando com 6,0 % no ano 2000 e terminando com 5,1 % em 2004. A tendênciatemporal do percentual de macrossomia diminuiu ao longo dos anos, entretanto, o percentual de cesariana mostrou crescimento gradativo entre os estratos de peso de recém-nascidos. As demais variáveis estudadas foram percentuais de pós-termo, mãe adolescente, grau de instrução inferior, situação conjugal, cor da pele e consulta de prénatal infreqüente que mostraram redução gradativa a cada ano entre os estratos de peso dos recém-nascidos. Análises espaciais de 558 microrregiões brasileiras com os dados do SINASC de 2004 mostraram que o índice global de Moran do percentual de macrossomia fetal foi de 0,40. Foram identificados conglomerados de microrregiões com altos percentuais de macrossomia relacionadas com vizinhos de altos percentuais nas regiões norte-nordeste do país, entretanto os conglomerados de baixos percentuais foram encontrados nas regiões sul-sudeste. O modelo final da regressão comprovou a presença de dependência espacial do percentual de macrossomia com as variáveis percentuais de cesariana e grau de instrução inferior mantidas no modelo. A estratégia de especificação clássica foi usada para seleção do modelo final, indicando o modelo de erro espacial para verificação da autocorrelação espacial nos termos de erros. Conclusão: A tendência temporal da macrossomia no Brasil está em declínio, acompanhando tendências favoráveis em vários indicadores de saúde materno-infantil. No entanto, houve aumento de 10% no percentual de cesariana e de 6% no percentual de microssomia no período estudado. Conglomerados geográficos de macrossomia com dependência espacial foram caracterizados nas microrregiões brasileiras com percentuais de cesarianas e grau de instrução inferior contribuindo de forma significativa para este relacionamento espacial. / Fetal macrosomia means large or overweight fetus, more recently called large for gestational age. The birth weight is affected by many conditions such as gestational age, maternal size, hereditary factors, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity among others. Consequently, an increased morbidity is observed in this situation. The macrosomia temporal trend was investigated in studies conducted in other countries and showed gradual increased prevalence with a heterogeneous geographic distribution. Objectives: To evaluate the temporal trends of fetal macrosomia in the Brazilian territory considering the well known determinants that affect birth weight. To map and identify clusters of macrosomia in the Brazilian territory and its spatial correlation factors. Methods: Descriptive data of 14.509.859 birth registries were collected in the Brazilian Live Births Information System from 26 states and the Federal District. Statistics were shown in tables for absolute and relative frequencies, arithmetic means and graphics for geometric descriptions. Data of 2.858.627 birth registries from 2004 were used for the geographic analysis. Spatial statistics methodology was used to identify the clusters and their approximate location. The geographic contextualization was performed with Conditional Auto Regressive (CAR) model over disaggregated map of Brazilian microregions. Macrosomia overall prevalence was 5.4% starting with 6.0% in 2000 and finishing with 5.1% in 2004. The temporal trends of macrossomia percentage decreased during the study period, however, the cesarean percentage increased gradually over the birth weight stratus. The reminded studied variables, post-term delivery percentage, adolescent pregnancy, less than a full elementary education, married status, skim color and infrequent pre-natal care visits shown annual reduction over the birth weightstratus. SINASC 2004 spatial analysis of 558 Brazilian micro regions displayed macrosomia Moran’s I percentage of 0.40. Clusters of high percentage macrosomia micro-regions related to high percentage neighbors were identified in the northnortheast regions of the country, although clusters with low percentage were located in the south-southeast regions. The final regression model showed spatial dependence of macrosomia percentage maintaining cesarean and education variables in the model. The spatial error model was indicated to test the spatial autocorrelation in the terms of error in the final model using the classical specification strategy.The Brazilian macrosomia temporal trend is decreasing accompanied by favorable tendencies in nearly all maternal-infant health indicators, but an increase of 10% in the cesarean percentage and of 6% in microsomia was observed during the study period. Geographic macrosomia clusters with spatial dependence were characterized in the Brazilian micro regions with percentages of cesarean and less than a full elementary education significantly affecting this spatial relationship.

Equivalent temperature is an atmospheric variable that combines both dry static energy (associated with temperature) and moist static energy (associated with moisture). Changes in equivalent temperature therefore reflect changes in total surface energy content. This research is concerned with quantifying trends in equivalent temperature and its subcomponents at 8 National Weather Service (NWS) 1st Order stations in the central USA. Data quality control was conducted and time series and time-varying percentile trends of maximum and minimum equivalent temperature and its subcomponents were developed for each of the stations on the daily scale; along with a heat wave trend analysis. It was found that there is an overall positive trend in lower tropospheric heat content over the last 60 years--driven primarily by increases in low-level moisture. The largest changes in equivalent temperature occurred during spring and fall, with some of these trends as large as 5 deg. Celsius/50 years. Furthermore, it was found that there is an increase in the number of high humidity heat wave events and that these types of events are more frequent than low humidity events; which saw a slight decrease in frequency. Interestingly, one station (Nashville, TN) exhibited a slight negative trend in equivalent temperature maxima, which may be due to synoptic-scale influence such as the Great Plains low-level jet. The results demonstrate that equivalent temperature provides a different perspective than temperature for assessing regional climate change.