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This study examines the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth in developing countries. Based on deduction from the relevant theoretical and empirical literature, the study tests the following hypotheses regarding the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth. First, fiscal deficits have significant positive or negative impact on economic growth in developing countries. Second, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on the size of deficits as a percentage of GDP – that is, there is a non-linear relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth. Third, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on the ways in which deficits are financed. Fourth, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on what deficit financing is used for. The study also examines whether there are any significant regional differences in terms of the relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth in developing countries. The study uses panel data for thirty-one developing countries covering the period 1972- 2001, which is analysed based on the econometric estimation of a dynamic growth model using the Arellano and Bond (1991) generalised method of moments (GMM) technique. Overall, the results suggest the following. First, fiscal deficits per se have no any significant positive or negative impact on economic growth. Second, by contrast, when the deficit is substituted by domestic and foreign financing, we find that both domestic and foreign financing of fiscal deficits exerts a negative and statistically significant impact on economic growth with a lag. Third, we find that both categories of economic classification of government expenditure, namely, capital and current expenditure, have no significant impact on economic growth. When government expenditure is disaggregated on the basis of a functional classification, the results suggest that spending on education, defence and economic services have positive but insignificant impact on growth, while spending on health and general public services have positive and significant impact. Fourth, in terms of regional differences with regard to the estimated relationships, the study finds that, while there are some regional differences between the four different regions represented in our sample of thirty-one developing countries - namely, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa – these differences are not statistically significant. On the basis of these findings, the study concludes that fiscal deficits per se are not necessarily good or bad for economic growth in developing countries; how the deficits are financed and what they are used for matters. In addition, the study concludes that there are no statistically significant regional differences in terms of the relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth in developing countries.

Bakgrund: Övergången från en linjär till cirkulär ekonomi är något som har adresserats på en global nivå. SMF står för 56% av den svenska sysselsättningenoch är därmed en stor faktor i den svenska omställningen till en cirkulär ekonomi. För att kunna ställa om till en cirkulär ekonomi krävs det att de cirkuläraföretagen har tillgång till finansiering. Det finns en stor mängd forskning om olika typer av cirkulära affärsmodeller och hur de påverkar ett företags operativa verksamhet. Det finns även mycket forskning kring de finansiella förutsättningarna för SMF. Något som inte diskuteras lika mycket är hur de finansiella förutsättningarna ser ut för cirkulära affärsmodeller i SMF. Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att kartlägga hur de finansiella förutsättningarna för att implementera och driva cirkulära affärsmodeller ser ut i svenska SMF. Metod: Studien är en kvalitativ tvärsnittsstudie som är utförd med en abduktiv ansats och med realism som vetenskaplig utgångspunkt. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in via semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio respondenter från olika SMF med cirkulära affärsmodeller och en respondent från ett finansieringsinstitut. Ett målstyrt urval har använts som urvalsmetod för att identifiera företag och respondentpersoner i relevanta positioner som skulle kunna bidra till studiens syfte. Slutsats: Resultatet av studien visar att SMF med cirkulära affärsmodeller skiljer sig i vissa avseenden gentemot linjära SMF när det kommer till finansiella förutsättningar. Cirkulära SMF:s finansiella implikationer kan medföra särskilda utmaningar som begränsar deras tillgång till finansiering, men det finns även implikationer som agerar som möjliggörare. De finansiella förutsättningarna skiljer sig mellan olika typer av cirkulära affärsmodeller i vissa avseenden, men förutsättningarna kan även skilja sig beroende på andra faktorer såsom ålder och storlek. / Background: The transition from a linear to a circular economy is being addressed on a global level. SMEs account for 56% of Swedish employment and are thus a major factor in the Swedish transition to a circular economy. Transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy requires that thecircular businesses have access to financing. There is a large body of research on different types of circular business models and howthey affect a company's operational activities. There is also plenty of research on the financial preconditions of SMEs. There is however a lack of research on the financial preconditions for circular business models in SMEs. Research aim: The aim of this paper is to identify the financial preconditions for implementing and operating circular business models in Swedish SMEs. Method: The study is a qualitative cross-sectional study conducted with an abductive approach and with realism as a research paradigm. The empirical material was collected via semi-structured interviews with nine respondents from different SMEs with circular business models and one respondent from a financial institution. Targeted sampling was used as a sampling method to identify companies and respondents in relevant positions that could contribute to the aim of the study. Findings: The results of the study show that SMEs with circular business models differ in some respects from linear SMEs in terms of financial preconditions. The financial implications of circular SMEs may pose specific challenges that limit their access to financing, however there are also implications that act as enablers. Financial preconditions differ between different types of circular business models in some respects, but preconditions may also differ depending on other factors such as age and size of the enterprise. / Mistra REES

Videoinnehåll på internet är en populär källa för informationssökning och underhållning idag. YouTube är den största av de videoplattformar som finns tillgängliga och dess gratisversion finansieras genom reklam. Reklamen i sig innebär ett avbrott i tittarupplevelsen. Tidigare forskning har visat att sådan reklam är ett störande moment och kan orsaka irritation hos tittaren. Därtill väljer många idag att installera insticksprogram i sina webbläsare som blockerar reklamen och hindrar den från att visas. Eftersom att reklamen i dessa fall inte når mottagaren så fungerar inte reklamfinansieringen som tänkt. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka vad hos reklamen som uppfattas som störande och/eller irriterande av tittaren samt hur videoreklam kan utformas för undvika detta. För att besvara frågeställningarna genomfördes en experimentell studie där tio studenter deltog. Resultatet visade att de störande aspekterna relaterar till reklamens tid, dess placering i en video och tittarnas personliga intresse av reklamens innehåll. Slutligen föreslås följande designimplikationer för utformandet av videoreklam: i) reklamklipp bör vara kortare än 15 sekunder för att undvika att uppfattas som irriterande; och att längre reklamklipp bör kunna skippas av användaren; ii) placering av reklamklipp mitt i en vald YouTube-video bör undvikas; iii) reklamklipp bör passa till innehållet av den valda huvudvideon och borde, om möjligt, vara av personligt intresse för tittaren; iv) funktioner såsom att få se kvarvarande tid för ett reklamklipp bör kunna anpassas av tittaren själv, genom dennes användarkonto. / Videos have become a popular source for information gathering and entertainment. YouTube is the biggest video platform available and its free version is funded by ads. The advertisements create an interruption from the viewer experience and research has shown that the ads are disruptive and can cause irritation among the viewers. Many users choose to use plugins in their browsers which block ads to avoid the distraction. Since ad-blockers hinder the ad from reaching the viewer they also hinder the funding of the video platform. This study aims to research what parts of the ads that the user finds disruptive or irritating, and how ads should be designed in order to avoid being perceived as a source of irritation for Swedish viewers. A suggestion will be made on how to design the video ads so that they are as non-disruptive as possible for the user and therefore allowed to be a part of the viewing experience. To answer the questions at hand an experimental study was conducted with ten students. The results showed that the irritating aspects of ads are related to the running times, its placement in a video and the viewers own interest in the content of the ad. Finally, the following implications are suggested for the design of video ads: i) ads should be shorter than 15 seconds to avoid being perceived as irritating; users should be able to skip longer ads; ii) ads showing in the middle of the video should be avoided; iii) ad content should match the content of the video and, if possible, be relevant to the viewer and their interests; iv) features such as showing the time remaining of the ad should be made customisable by the user, through their user account.

Do women suffer from a societal Stockholm Syndrome which leads them to display high levels of modern and traditional sexist behavior? Does a woman*s level of modern or traditional sexist behavior influence her political choices? Female gender resentment and sexist biases are an understudied area of the extant literature on sexism. Typically the focus is placed on men*s sexist attitudes and treatment of women, but is it possible that women also contribute to the subordination of their gender through sexist practices? These are questions which this thesis attempts to answer. The findings indicate that working women under the age of 39 are more likely to display modern sexist behavior and that female homemakers under the age of 39 display high levels of traditionally sexist behavior. These attitudes carry over into the political decision making processes and have a negative impact on whether a woman would be likely to support a female presidential candidate.

This thesis explores how leaders and officials of Somaliland and the Somali Federal Government (SFG) perceive Taiwan’s recent diplomatic overtures to Somaliland. The thesis also investigates how this new relationship affects Somalia-China relations, as well as Somaliland’s international recognition and the internal political dynamics in the Somali region. To achieve this, it combines perspectives from social constructivism, neoclassical realism, and the polity model. Using process tracing and Qualitative Content Analysis to examine a rich collection of data including official documents, speeches, and audio-visual materials. It finds that Taiwan’s engagement with Somaliland is perceived drastically differently due to divergent political visions and aspirations. Somaliland’s leadership and officials welcome Taiwan’s presence and hope to gain economic and strategic benefits from it. The SFG, on the other hand, strongly opposes Taiwan’s involvement in Somaliland and considers it a violation of its core interests. The thesis further argues that the Somaliland-Taiwan partnership will likely bring Mogadishu and Beijing closer together prompting them to counter Taiwan’s influence in Somaliland. Furthermore, it suggests that Taiwan’s support for Hargeisa will affect the political dynamics in the disputed northern borderlands where Somaliland claims sovereignty but faces challenges from local actors.

Historically, racial and ethnic minority (REM) communities have faced reduced access to resources for mental and emotional health issues. While research has placed a greater emphasis on REM experiences, there is still a need to further understand the unique contextual factors surrounding mental health challenges among these marginalized groups. Research on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) among REM communities is one area in need of further evaluation. Therefore, this study is a content analysis of literature analyzing the current research focused on the intersection of REM communities and OCD experiences. The purpose of the study is to analyze OCD research among REM communities in the United States in order to support researchers and clinicians with the tools and direction needed to provide greater representation, more effective treatment, and higher quality of life for these underserved populations. Across a 21 year-span analyzed (2000-20), 47 articles were found with a focus on OCD among REM populations, with African Americans having the largest proportion of focus (27 articles, 57.4%). 8 of the 47 articles (22%) utilized ethnic identity measures, and none of the articles assessed acculturation. 11 of the articles included clinical samples, and 28 of 47 (60%) articles were funded. Utilization of OCD measures, common research topics, and implications for clinical work and future research are also examined and discussed.

The use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in acute care settings has drastically increased within the past 20 years. Research has indicated that NPPV is equally as effective as traditional mechanical ventilation(MV) in treating acute exacerbations of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) and cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Furthermore, the risk of complication from NPPV is much lower than MV, in terms of ventilator-associated pneumonia and sepsis. It is imperative for the nurse to understand the various indications, interfaces, and potential complications associated with NPPV use. In addition to treating acute exacerbations of COPD and cardiogenic pulmonary edema, NPPV has been used for prevention of reintubation, palliative care, and status asthmaticus. Furthermore, NPPV could be delivered through various interfaces, such as nasal, facial, and helmet. Each of these interfaces could eventually cause complications for the patient, such as skin ulceration and sepsis. However, there is limited amount of research available discussing the role of the nurse in caring for the patient with NPPV. There are no standardized guidelines established to assist the nurse in this care, in terms of interface selection, prevention of complications, and staffing patterns. Several recommendations are presented at the end of this thesis to guide future nursing research, education, and clinical practice, such as exploring the role of oral care and education for NPPV patients.

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