Este estudo tem a finalidade de estimar uma função de custo transcendental logarítmica para a atividade de produção de soja, e através dela determinar o tamanho ótimo da atividade de produção de soja, a fim de inferir sobre a existência, ou não, de economias de escala no setor. Adicionalmente, objetiva-se a caracterização sócio-econômica dos produtores de soja pesquisados e a análise das possibilidades de substituição dos recursos no processo produtivo da atividade. O referencial teórico do estudo é a teoria da dualidade da função custo e da função de produção. Os dados utilizados para a análise são de corte transversal, obtidos a partir de uma pesquisa de campo, realizada de agosto a dezembro de 2005, em uma amostra de 218 (duzentos e dezoito) produtores de soja nos cinco principais estados produtores do país: Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás e Mato Grosso do Sul. A amostra representa as realidades regionais, com o predomínio de produtores com pequenas propriedades nos estados da região Sul do país e produtores com propriedades maiores no Centro-Oeste brasileiro. As elasticidades-preço cruzadas mostraram que há complementaridade entre os fatores mão-de-obra e capital. As elasticidades de substituição parcial de Allen indicaram substituição entre a maior parte dos fatores de produção. Houve uma forte relação de complementaridade entre os fatores capital e mão-de-obra e de substituição entre os fatores químicos e mão-de-obra. Na classificação de Morishima, capital e mão-de-obra são complementares quando o preço de capital varia, e substitutos quando varia o preço do fator mão-de-obra. As estimativas de economias de escala obtidas apontam uma escala ótima de produção de aproximadamente 11.880 toneladas de soja em grão, que pode ser obtida em propriedades com aproximadamente 4.000 hectares de área de produção de soja. Os resultados empíricos obtidos neste trabalho sugerem que as economias de escala estejam determinando uma nova configuração para o setor de produção de soja no Brasil. No entanto, algumas características da pequena produção podem minimizar a importância dessas economias e estão sendo determinantes para a manutenção da produção em pequena escala na região Sul do país, no curto prazo. / The main objective of this paper is to estimate a translog cost function for the soybean production activity in Brazil, to infer about the existence of scale economies in the sector. We use cross-section data obtained through a field research undertake during the period of September to December 2004, in a sample of 218 soybean-producing units in the main producer states in Brazil. The paper also addresses a socio-economic characterization of the surveyed units and analyses substitution possibilities between inputs. The sample reflects regional detail of production structure, with smaller producers concentrated in Southern Brazil and larger producers concentrate in the Center-West region. The elasticities of derived demand showed complementary relation between labor and capital. The Allen partial elasticities of substitution show substitution between most of the production inputs. Capital and labor are complements and chemical and labor are substitutes. In terms of Morishima elasticity of substitution capital and labor are complements when capital price varies and they are substitutes when labor price varies. The economies of scale estimates point to an optimal scale of production around 12 thousand ton that could be produced in an area with approximately 4,000 hectares. The results suggest that the presence of scale economies could be determining a new production structure for the sector in Brazil. And finally, the evidence found also suggests that some aspects of the small production system work to reduce the importance of these scale economies, and are determinant to keep the small-scale operations in the traditional regions in the short run.

Venture Capital is an important theme in economic research as a growing intermediate in the financing of new or growing young firms. In Europe, it is the United Kingdom that is the leading country with the highest amount of venture capital activity. However, there is a wide spatial distribution of venture capital across the regions of the United Kingdom where London and the South East alone pulled nearly 60% of venture capital in 2013. This paper focuses on a cross-regional study with the selected regions of the United Kingdom: Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The purpose to investigate the relationship between economic growth, research & development expenditure, and population density with total venture capital investments during the time period 2006 – 2016. The aim is to contribute to existing literature on determinants of venture capital with evidence from the United Kingdom. Using a fixed effect model, we can establish a positive relationship between population density and total venture capital invested. Economic growth and gross expenditure on research & development did not yield any significant result.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:47:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09315.pdf: 17299011 bytes, checksum: 616a642f9509197edc9a3eb3f0c13ec3 (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Este estudo tem a finalidade de estimar uma função de custo transcendental logarítmica para a atividade de produção de soja, e através dela determinar o tamanho ótimo da atividade de produção de soja, a fim de inferir sobre a existência, ou não, de economias de escala no setor. Adicionalmente, objetiva-se a caracterização sócio-econômica dos produtores de soja pesquisados e a análise das possibilidades de substituição dos recursos no processo produtivo da atividade. O referencial teórico do estudo é a teoria da dualidade da função custo e da função de produção. Os dados utilizados para a análise são de corte transversal, obtidos a partir de uma pesquisa de campo, realizada de agosto a dezembro de 2005, em uma amostra de 218 (duzentos e dezoito) produtores de soja nos cinco principais estados produtores do país: Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás e Mato Grosso do Sul. A amostra representa as realidades regionais, com o predomínio de produtores com pequenas propriedades nos estados da região Sul do país e produtores com propriedades maiores no Centro-Oeste brasileiro. As elasticidades-preço cruzadas mostraram que há complementaridade entre os fatores mão-de-obra e capital. As elasticidades de substituição parcial de Allen indicaram substituição entre a maior parte dos fatores de produção. Houve uma forte relação de complementaridade entre os fatores capital e mão-de-obra e de substituição entre os fatores químicos e mão-de-obra. Na classificação de Morishima, capital e mão-de-obra são complementares quando o preço de capital varia, e substitutos quando varia o preço do fator mão-de-obra. As estimativas de economias de escala obtidas apontam uma escala ótima de produção de aproximadamente 11.880 toneladas de soja em grão, que pode ser obtida em propriedades com aproximadamente 4.000 hectares de área de produção de soja. Os resultados empíricos obtidos neste trabalho sugerem que as economias de escala estejam determinando uma nova configuração para o setor de produção de soja no Brasil. No entanto, algumas características da pequena produção podem minimizar a importância dessas economias e estão sendo determinantes para a manutenção da produção em pequena escala na região Sul do país, no curto prazo. / The main objective of this paper is to estimate a translog cost function for the soybean production activity in Brazil, to infer about the existence of scale economies in the sector. We use cross-section data obtained through a field research undertake during the period of September to December 2004, in a sample of 218 soybean-producing units in the main producer states in Brazil. The paper also addresses a socio-economic characterization of the surveyed units and analyses substitution possibilities between inputs. The sample reflects regional detail of production structure, with smaller producers concentrated in Southern Brazil and larger producers concentrate in the Center-West region. The elasticities of derived demand showed complementary relation between labor and capital. The Allen partial elasticities of substitution show substitution between most of the production inputs. Capital and labor are complements and chemical and labor are substitutes. In terms of Morishima elasticity of substitution capital and labor are complements when capital price varies and they are substitutes when labor price varies. The economies of scale estimates point to an optimal scale of production around 12 thousand ton that could be produced in an area with approximately 4,000 hectares. The results suggest that the presence of scale economies could be determining a new production structure for the sector in Brazil. And finally, the evidence found also suggests that some aspects of the small production system work to reduce the importance of these scale economies, and are determinant to keep the small-scale operations in the traditional regions in the short run.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:47:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09315.pdf: 17299011 bytes, checksum: 616a642f9509197edc9a3eb3f0c13ec3 (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Master of Science / Department of Biology / Martha E. Mather / Understanding the empirical relationships between biotic diversity and components of the environment is crucial for effective research and management, particularly in highly disturbed watersheds. The Smoky Hill River is a semi-arid prairie stream with a historic native fish community that is adapted to the extreme and highly variable climatic and hydrological conditions characteristic of the Great Plains streams. Following a literature review on environmental variables, diversity responses, and analysis methods, I evaluated the importance of land use, flow, discontinuities (dams, confluences), and stream type (mainstem-tributary) variables in explaining fish richness using AICc model selection with multiple linear, Poisson and negative-binomial regressions. I then compared these results from 48 sites across three watershed regions to those from a long-term monitoring dataset (ST) using the same candidate variables. Finally, I examined phylogenetic patterns of the fish community using ordination analyses. Patterns and drivers of biodiversity differed with watershed region, land use, stream type, and flow. Fish species richness in the Smoky Hill watershed was negatively correlated with percent developed land in the Lower region of the watershed, but positively correlated with percent herbaceous grassland, the reference prairie condition, in the Upper region of the watershed. Summer mean flow was consistently and positively related to species richness in the Middle and Upper regions of the watershed where flow was limited. In the Lower region of the watershed, species richness was higher in the more flow-moderate tributaries relative to high-flow mainstem sites. In the Middle and Upper flow-limited regions, species richness was lower in the low-flow tributaries than main stem sites. Families of fish species were also related to region and stream type (mainstem vs. tributary). A comparison of two databases showed how different goals, questions, and methods result in different insights, emphasizing the need for establishing a priori goals before sampling.

The diploma thesis deals with the evaluation of present state of the quality of life in regions in the Czech Republic. The comparison of regions is based on statistically monitored quantitative data -- objective indicators of the quality of life. In chosen Vysočina region aditionally qualitative indicators that include subjective evaluation of conditions of life in the region were monitored. First two chapters deal with the theory of quality of life and the methods of the measurement. The third part of the thesis focuses on the practical analyses . The aim of the diploma thesis was to evaluate objective conditions of the quality of life using total hierarchical index in all regions, demonstrate regional differences and analyze subjective quality of life in Vysočina region. The analysis of statistical data, scholarly issues and moreover empirical research were used to achieve the aim.

The subjekt of my diploma work is socioeconomic development of region Plzeň, its goals and priorities and areas of development. The work consists of two parts. The subjekt of first part is the characteristic of the region. I'm dealing with the settlement structure, population, economic structure, labour market, transport, tourism , culture and health and social security. The sekond parts is concerning with proposals of developing goals and priorities of the region. I'm comparing apportionable datas with datas for the whole Czech republic. In the SWOT analysis I am summarizing datas that I have found out, In the final part I am suggesting solving problemes, which region has those problemes and wchich region could have them in the future.

This work focuses on quality of life and its measurement using different tools. The central subject of the work is to analyze the quality of life in Czech regions using appropriately chosen indicators. Comparison of quality of life in the region is based on quantitative statistically monitored data objectively reflecting the quality of life. The first part of this work is devoted to the theory associated with the measurement and indicators of quality of life. The second part focuses on the analysis of the quality of life in regions, the composite index and comparison of quality of life measured by Preston Curve in OECD and EU countries. The objectives of this thesis are achieved by using method of statistical data analysis and comparison of the results.

The aim of my graduation thesis is the analysis of retail network in Tábor from the perspective of retail chains. Information base consists of professional literature, web sites, field research, interviews with managers of stores and completed questionnaires.