The BRIC nations are Brazil, Russia, India and China, for the purpose of this thesis I concentrate on Brazil and India. Potential is the word that springs to mind when Brazil and India are mentioned. Brazil and India are developing countries with low GDP per capita (PPP). I demonstrate that Brazil and India have the potential to become world economy leaders in the very near future. This thesis therefore focuses on aspects that have a significant if not a crucial impact on fulfilling the potential of Brazil and India as world economical leaders.

The main aim is to describe and analyze a key determinants of the demand for services of ski schools in Krkonoše mountains. At the beginning I focus on a segment of ski schools itself. After, the hypotesis are set up, based on the defined determinants, and verified by a survey. The survey was held in a winter season 2008/ 2009 in Dolní Dvůr, Ski school SKi Baron. In addition the survey focusing on visit rate of Krkonoše mountains is mentioned. Next point is to compare two ski schools according to a different clients (SKOL MAX in Špindlerův Mlýn and Ski Baron in Dolní Dvůr).

This diploma work deals with free movement of workers within European Union. The first theoretic chapter define labour migration and its main segmentation. The second chapter discribes four significant theoretical approaches to labour migration depending on wages differentials, human capital supply, family and created migration nets. Every approach explains the causes and effects of labour migration by different way. The third chapter is devoted to the migration policy of EU. Within fourth chapter migration policy of the selected countries (Germany, Austria, Ireland, Great Britain) is studied. The core of the work draws on a questinnaire-based survey of the migration attitudes of high-skilled workers and students. In this fiftht chapter, which is the key one, The influence of migration determinants on labour migration of the Czech citizens towards EU members states is analyzed. In conclusions the knowledge acquired in writing diploma work is interpreted.

The subject of this thesis is an analysis of factors influencing the growth rate of small and medium enterprises in Europe. The required data was collected from Amadeus database and processed into a panel dataset. Afterwards, the regression parameters of the selected explanatory variables were obtained by means of fixed effects models. Results showed that enterprise growth rate was most significantly influenced by the rate of R&D costs, specifically its annual change in relation to turnover. Growth is also positively influenced by firm's profitability, annual change in intangible assets value and nation's growth rate of GDP. A negative effect on growth connected with solvency ratio was also found, which is consistent with a proposition of the pecking order theory. Once again, validity of Gibrat's Law was confirmed when size variable turned out to be statistically insignificant and slightly negative in addition. Not surprisingly, privately held companies operating in Western Europe showed a bit higher propensity to faster growth than their counterparts.

This paper analyzes the influence of several factors on rental and purchase price of Real Estate in Prague. The idea is that purchase and rental price could be influenced by different factors. To make a decision about "buy to rent" investment it is necessary to consider both sides. The aim is to conduct thorough analysis to find out whether differential factors exist, and if so, what they are. The comparison of these factors and their separated effects helps to understand the total effect on potential profitability and to make right decision about attractive properties for "buy to rent" investment. The paper serves to inform investors who are making decisions about investment properties.

The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of FDI flows from the European countries to Singapore. The analysis focuses on the period between 1995 and 2013. The work begins with the review of the relevant literature. The most important findings about spillover, spinoff effects, and the main FDI determinants are summarized in tables. The empirical part reveals the trends of FDI in Singapore with an emphasis on the influence of FDI from European countries. The work contains two main research questions: Does FDI from European countries have a positive impact on GDP growth in Singapore? Is it possible to identify the main determinants that attract FDI in Singapore? Time series analyses and panel analyses are used in the dissertation. Among the most valuable results belong the confirmation of a positive impact of FDI from Europe on GDP growth and the identification of some of the main positive determinants for attracting FDI in Singapore.

Background: Stunting prevalence in children less than 5 years has remained stagnated in Peru from 1992 to 2007, with a rapid reduction thereafter. We aimed to assess the role of different predictors on stunting reduction over time and across departments, from 2000 to 2012. Methods: We used various secondary data sources to describe time trends of stunting and of possible predictors that included distal to proximal determinants. We determined a ranking of departments by annual change of stunting and of different predictors. To account for variation over time and across departments, we used an ecological hierarchical approach based on a multilevel mixed-effects regression model, considering stunting as the outcome. Our unit of analysis was one department-year. Results: Stunting followed a decreasing trend in all departments, with differing slopes. The reduction pace was higher from 2007–2008 onwards. The departments with the highest annual stunting reduction were Cusco (−2.31%), Amazonas (−1.57%), Puno (−1.54%), Huanuco (−1.52%), and Ancash (−1.44). Those with the lowest reduction were Ica (−0.67%), Ucayali (−0.64%), Tumbes (−0.45%), Lima (−0.37%), and Tacna (−0.31%). Amazon and Andean departments, with the highest baseline poverty rates and concentrating the highest rural populations, showed the highest stunting reduction. In the multilevel analysis, when accounting for confounding, social determinants seemed to be the most important factors influencing annual stunting reduction, with significant variation between departments. Conclusions: Stunting reduction may be explained by the adoption of anti-poverty policies and sustained implementation of equitable crosscutting interventions, with focus on poorest areas. Inclusion of quality indicators for reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health interventions may enable further analyses to show the influence of these factors. After a long stagnation period, Peru reduced dramatically its national and departmental stunting prevalence, thanks to a combination of social determinants and crosscutting factors. This experience offers useful lessons to other countries trying to improve their children’s nutrition. / Revisión por pares

The extant literature had studied the determinants of the firms’ location decisions with help of host country characteristics and distances between home and host countries. Firm resources and its internationalization strategies had found limited attention in this literature. To address this gap, the research question in this dissertation was whether and how firms’ resources and internationalization strategies impacted the international location decisions of emerging market firms. To explore the research question, data were hand-collected from Indian software firms on their location decisions taken between April 2000 and March 2009. To analyze the multi-level longitudinal dataset, hierarchical linear modeling was used. The results showed that the internationalization strategies, namely market-seeking or labor-seeking had direct impact on firms’ location decision. This direct relationship was moderated by firm resource which, in case of Indian software firms, was the appraisal at CMMI level-5. Indian software firms located in developed countries with a market-seeking strategy and in emerging markets with a labor-seeking strategy. However, software firms with resource such as CMMI level-5 appraisal, when in a labor-seeking mode, were more likely to locate in a developed country over emerging market than firms without the appraisal. Software firms with CMMI level-5 appraisal, when in market-seeking mode, were more likely to locate in a developed country over an emerging market than firms without the appraisal. It was concluded that the internationalization strategies and resources of companies predicted their location choices, over and above the variables studied in the theoretical field of location determinants.

Este estudo foi elaborado com o objetivo de elucidar os mecanismos de resistência às quinolonas presentes em enterobactérias isoladas de pacientes de duas regiões metropolitanas brasileiras. Foram avaliadas possíveis alterações nas proteínas relacionadas com o sítio de ação das quinolonas, bem como a presença de plasmídeos e integrons que carregam determinantes gênicos que codificam resistência às quinolonas. A associação destes com mecanismos plasmideais de resistência aos antibióticos -lactâmicos também foi analisada. Foram avaliadas 257 enterobactérias resistentes ao ácido nalidíxico isoladas de pacientes hospitalizados e da comunidade no período de 2000 a 2005. Por PCR e seqüenciamento, foram analisadas as mutações presentes nos genes cromossômicos gyrA e parC e as estruturas gênicas associadas com determinantes plasmideais de resistência às quinolonas, Qnr, e aos -lactâmicos de amplo espectro. Foram determinados os perfis plasmideais e a transferabilidade dos plasmídeos que carrearam estes determinantes. A extração e a análise das proteínas de membrana externa foi realizada para avaliar uma possível perda ou diminuição da expressão de porinas, também relacionada com os mecanismos de resistência avaliados. Todas as amostras foram resistentes ao ácido nalidíxico, apresentando concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) superior a 16 g/mL, e em média, 70% apresentaram diminuição de sensibilidade às fluoroquinolonas testadas. De 257 enterobactérias resistentes ao ácido nalidíxico, em seis enterobactérias (2,3%), incluindo 3 E. coli, 2 K. pneumoniae e 1 C. freundii foi encontrado o gene qnrB. Cinco linhagens apresentaram suas seqüências idênticas ao gene qnrB2, e uma linhagem, C. freundii JF79, apresentou uma seqüência idêntica ao gene qnrB8. Em uma linhagem de E. cloacae foi detectado o gene qnrA1 (0,37%). Os genes qnrA e qnrB apresentaram-se localizados em plasmídeos que apresentaram de 55 a 180 kilobases. A análise da estrutura gênica indicou que os genes qnrA1 e qnrB2 estavam associados com um integron classe 1 e localizados entre o elemento ISCR1 e a segunda cópia do segmento conservado 3. Na coleção bacteriana avaliada, as principais mutações observadas foram nos códons 83 e 87 em gyrA, e nos códons 80 e 84 em parC. Todas as enterobactérias que exibiram unicamente mutações no gene gyrA apresentaram CIM 16 µg/mL para o ácido nalidíxico. A diferença encontrada nos valores da CIM de fluoroquinolonas em enterobactérias que apresentaram as mesmas substituições em GyrA e ParC foi explicada pela ausência ou diminuição da expressão de porinas. Em relação à produção de -lactamase de espectro ampliado (ESBL), sua presença foi comprovada em 24 (9,3%) enterobactérias. O seqüenciamento de blaCTX-M identificou 18 determinantes: CTX-M-2 (n=13), incluindo dois novos variantes, CTX-M-8 (n=2) e CTX-M-9 (n=3) mediados por plasmídeos de 48 a 180 kilobases, não conjugativos, em maioria. O gene blaSHV-5 foi detectado em seis enterobactérias. Todos os determinantes do grupo 2 apresentaram-se associados com um elemento ISCR1, enquanto que aqueles do grupo 9 estiveram relacionados com ISEcp1. Concluindo, o principal mecanismo de resistência às quinolonas detectado foi a presença de substituições em GyrA e ParC, apesar de outros mecanismos, como a diminuição da expressão de porinas estarem envolvidos nas enterobactérias avaliadas. A associação da produção de ESBL foi significativa devido ao encontro de uma grande diversidade de genótipos circulando na comunidade, com uma predominância de enterobactérias produtoras de CTX-M. Quanto aos determinantes Qnr descritos neste estudo, que notoriamente foram os primeiros relatos no Brasil, somente dois deles apresentaram-se relacionados com a produção de ESBL. / The aim of this study was to investigate the main mechanisms of quinolone resistance among enterobacterial isolates recovered from hospitalized patients and outpatients in Brazil. The modification of the quinolone targets with changes of DNA gyrase and of topoisomerase IV genes and the presence of determinants codifying plasmid- mediated quinolone and oxymino- cephalosporins resistance were investigated. Two hundred fifty seven non-duplicate nalidixic-acid resistant enterobacterial isolates recovered from January 2000 to May 2005 were analysed. Mutations in the topoisomerases gyrA and parC genes and the genetic structures surrounding Qnr and CTX-M determinants were recognized by PCR and sequencing. Conjugation experiments were performed to determine whether the qnr- and blaCTX-M carrying plasmids were self transferable. Also, decrease in the level of porin expression related to quinolone resistance was assessed. All enterobacterial isolates were resistant to nalidixic-acid, showing minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) 16 g/mL and 70% of these isolates showed decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolone. Six qnrB-positive (2.3%) out of 257 nalidixic-acid resistant enterobacterial isolates, were identified, including 3 Escherichia coli, 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 1 Citrobacter freundii. Five isolates had an identical qnrB2 sequence and one isolate, C. freundii 79, possessed the qnrB8. A single Enterobacter cloacae carrying a plasmid encoding qnrA gene was identified (0.37%). All isolates were negative for the qnrS genes. Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance ranged from 55- to 180-kb in size. Sequence analysis of the genetic structures surrounding of the qnrA and qnrB genes identified an ISCR1 element at the left-hand boundary and a partial copy of the 3-end segment of class 1 integrons. Concerning the changes of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, the most common modification in the enterobacterial isolates analyzed were present at codons 83 and 87 in GyrA and in ParC at codons 80 and 84. All isolates that exhibited mutations in gyrA gene showed nalidixic-acid MIC 16 µg/mL. The finding of different MIC values to fluoroquinolones in enterobacterial isolates with the same GyrA and ParC modification was explained by a decreasing in the level of porin expression. Regarding -lactam resistance mechanisms, twenty four (9.3%) ESBL-producing enterobacterial isolates were detected. Sequencing of the CTX-M-encoding genes identified 18 determinants belonging to CTX-M-2 (n=13), CTX-M-8 (n=2) and CTX-M-9 (n=3) groups. CTX-M-2 group determinants included blaCTX-M-2 and the two novel variants. Plasmids harboring blaCTX-M genes ranged from 48- to 180- kb in size and were not transferable, in their majority. The blaSHV-5 genes were detected in all the 6 blaCTX-M negative isolates. All alleles belonging to the group 2 were associated with ISCR1 element, while all blaCTX-M-9 genes were related to ISEcp1 element. In conclusion, alterations in the targets of quinolones, GyrA and ParC was the main mechanism of quinolone resistance identified in this study, although a decreasing of the porins expression had been identified among nalidixic-acid resistant enterobacterial isolates. In the surveyed area, the prevalence of ESBL producers was important (9.3%), provided that this finding was related to a large diversity of genotypes circulating in the community, mainly CTX-M-producing isolates. This study constituted the first epidemiological survey of QnrA and QnrB determinants among Brazilian isolates. Interestingly, the qnrB2 gene was identified in non ESBL producers isolates and qnrS genes were not found.

Poverty it is said to have harsh outcomes on one's antisocial or even delinquent behavior. Other factors as well lead an individual to antisocial behavior those are the environment that they are living, and their genes that have passed from one generation to the other one. Parents, poverty, environment, genes and social determinants affect one's involvement in a crime and also affect the health in distinct ways. The focus of this essay is on the African American population within the American society and the health disparities that exist in this situation. We try to understand and answer if these health disparities were created after their birth, or pre-existed and were carried through the generations. One of the main issues is the examination of how much is the prison or incarceration in charge for these health disparities, or how much did these disparities previously exist, out of other reasons. These issues are put on a life-course perspective, and there is shown how much these morbidities affect one's life from the beginning till incarceration. A certain policy implication is made to eliminate those disparities by improving maternal, child and family health status.