This thesis is devoted to show various applications of fixed point theorems on dif- ferential equations. In the beginning we use a notion of topological degree to derive several fixed points theorems, primarily Brouwer, Schauder and Kakutani-Ky Fan the- orem. Then we apply them on a wide range of relatively simple problems from ordinary and partial differential equations (ode and pde). Finally, we take a look on a few more complex problems. First is an existence of a solution to the model of mechanical os- cillator with non-monotone dependence of both displacement and velocity. Second is a solution to so called Gause predator-prey model with a refuge. The last one is cer- tain partial differential equation with a constraint which determines maximal monotone graph. 1

This paper examines the relationship between financial development and poverty fora sample of SSA countries while taking into account an interaction effect between thefinancial sector and the institutional framework, which is thought to be causing someomitted variable bias in previous studies. The study covers the period 2000–2019.These relationships are investigated using fixed effects. The results show thatfinancial development had a statistically significant and positive impact on povertyreduction. Also, the estimates reveal that institutional quality has a significant andpositive impact on poverty reduction. However, it was discovered that whereinstitutions perform better, the pro-poor impact of financial development is alsobetter. These findings support the theory that finance, and institutions have acomplementary effect. The study recommends, amongst others, that a judiciousallocation of resources between financial development and strengthening the qualityof institutions will be critical to reducing poverty and boosting economic growth inthe region.

In this thesis we have investigated different numerical filters for joint input and state estimation, with the aim of designing a robust algorithm capable of monitoring the continuous motion and loading in a truck chassis. The algorithm has to be able to use sparse measurements of the motion on different parts of the truck as it is excited by road induced vibrations, and transform this data into knowledge of the state in the entire system. To do this, the algorithm has to be supplied with information about the dynamic properties of the current system. In Paper A we have developed and implemented a fixed-lag smoother for joint input and state estimation in linear time-invariant dynamic structures. A fixed-lag smoother maximizes the use of information available in the measurements by allowing a small time lag in the estimation. As input, external forces as well as support motions can be computed. Furthermore, both measurement noise and model errors are accounted for and simulated as stochastic processes. The filter is firstly verified with straightforward numerical simulations of a simply supported beam, followed by a more involved simulation of a truck fuel tank. It is shown that the fixed-lag smoother performs very well, it estimates both input and states with a high accuracy even though the signals are contaminated with noise and the model contains errors. In Paper B the fixed-lag smoother is applied on real measurements. We investigate the capabilities of the proposed filter by analysing acceleration measurements from a truck side skirt excited by road induced vibrations. In this study, we focus on estimating the state in the side skirt body from a minimum number of measurement sensors. The dynamic properties of the side skirt are obtained experimentally from an operational modal analysis. It is shown that the fixed-lag smoother estimates the state very well. The results also shows that the smoothing effect is larger when fewer measurement sensors are used. / <p>QC 20160928</p>

Fifteen or so years into what is said to be the game changer of our time there are many fields of science  focusing  their  attention  towards  the  online  market  in  attempts  to  describe  its implications for the traditional, offline markets. Where most of the literature on economics of ecommerce focus on pricing mechanisms and growth little attention has been directed towards more general market structure effects. This thesis adopts techniques, empirical and theoretical models  from  the  search  cost  and  market  structure  literature  in  order  to  examine  the relationships between ecommerce and offline market structures in the retail industry through regional employment and establishment data. The literature reviewed and used focus only on the US market whereas this thesis shifts the attention to the European regions. The results are convincing and in general corresponding to previous research results. As ecommerce usage increase and the consumer search costs thereby gets lower inefficient firms drop out of the market resulting in a decline in local establishment counts. The opposite effect is seen for pure online retailing establishments that thrive in the presence of local ecommerce usage. The effect of   ecommerce  on  traditional  offline  establishments  seems  to  be  aggregated  phenomena whereas  the  effect  on  pure  online  firms  seems  to  be  of  a  more  local  nature.  Focus  of policymakers and company management therefore might consider looking at the two effects in their respective aggregation level to best sort out how to react in the presence of increased competition from ecommerce usage.

During the last 20 years there has been a rapid increase of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa. Through examination of published research, we discover that Chinese FDI does not appear to clearly follow traditional assumptions of FDI. Especially in relation to economic freedom. This uncertainty, combined with lacking empirical research and limited available data in the region, led us to the aim of this work. We have set out to examine whether economic freedom is a determinant of Chinese FDI in Africa. For this purpose, a biennial panel data study for the years 2009 to 2019 was constructed. Fixed effects models using indices for economic freedom and relevant control variables are employed. The results show that economic freedom as defined by the Fraser Institute has a negative effect on Chinese FDI. Further, high levels of regulation reduces Chinese FDI. These findings stand in contrast to traditional theory on FDI determinants.

Deteriorating air quality has attracted the interest of policymakers in most parts of the world. Poor air quality is behind many severe health problems on both a global and a local scale. While decarbonization is the primary driver behind the push for broader adoption of electric cars, we hypothesize the presence of significant co-benefits from adopting electric cars, such that electrifying the mode of transportation might reduce air pollution. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated panel data for the stock of electric cars and emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) from Swedish municipalities between 2010-2019 using OLS models with fixed effects. The analysis suggests a significant negative correlation between the stock of electric cars and emissions of NOX. The presence of co-benefits suggests a stronger case for subsidizing the adoption of electric cars, beyond the level climate considerations warrant.

Odds ratios and risk ratios are useful measures of effect size in 2-group studies in which the response variable is dichotomous. Confidence interval methods are proposed for combining and comparing odds ratios and risk ratios in multistudy designs. Unlike the traditional fixed-effect meta-analysis methods, the proposed varying coefficient methods do not require effect-size homogeneity, and unlike the randomeffects meta-analysis methods, the proposed varying coefficient methods do not assume that the effect sizes from the selected studies represent a random sample from a normally distributed superpopulation of effect sizes. The results of extensive simulation studies suggest that the proposed varying coefficient methods have excellent performance characteristics under realistic conditions and should provide useful alternatives to the currently used meta-analysis methods.

This dissertation consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, I revisit the role of Central Banks, the principal entity responsible for economic and financial stability. I indicate that we can consider a universal role for a central bank instead of just a lender. I consider a model of the financial crisis and market rejuvenation where direct policies from the central bank are not efficient as the public authority lacks critical information about the status of the economy. In contrast, there exist agents who have superior information about the available assets and future projects of the economy. I show that the public authority can benefit from contracting the informed agents to the benefit of the society, where the central bank will trade off the benefit of higher financing from liquidity provision to informed agents for the cost of a public market contraction. Based on the insight of this chapter, I propose a proactive ``planner of last resort'' role for a central bank as opposed to a naive lender of last resort suggested by Bagehot’s dictum. In the second chapter, I investigate a fundamental and yet less explored moment of asset returns which is the expected time it takes for a given asset's return to change state from high to low or vice versa. I introduce formally the concept of ``expected traveling time'' in the context of asset prices and returns and demonstrate a number of results. Mainly, I provide pricing equations for a class of fixed-income assets, which their payoff would default to zero when particular states are triggered (similar to a risky bond). Moreover, I show that barrier like option prices can reveal transition probabilities of the underlying asset's return. Finally, I discuss the estimation of the traveling times from historical data where I identify a considerable variation of traveling times across different assets.

Institutions of higher education continue to try and find new ways to help students persist in college (Kinzie & Kuh, 2017). One compelling tool to help students succeed comes from Dweck’s (1999) Mindset model. The model depicts intelligence as either fixed or growth; meaning intelligence can be viewed as unchangeable or malleable. Students with a growth mindset recover from failure quicker, overcome challenges faster, and see difficulty as a positive challenge instead of questioning their intelligence. With the many challenges domestic students face persisting in college, international students studying abroad face additional factors inhibiting their motivation and ability to succeed. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether Dweck’s (1999) 8-item Mindset sub-scale could be valid with international students studying within the United States. A multiple-sample confirmatory factor analysis using maximum likelihood estimation was used to assess measurement invariance with domestic (n = 1809) and international (n = 275) students at a large-midwestern university. The secondary purpose was to determine whether GPA, gender, year-in-school, English language proficiency, and first-generation status impacted international student mindset scores. A seemingly unrelated regression was used to determine if there were any differences in the sub-group population of international students (n = 268). Results indicated Dweck’s (1999) Mindset Scale is valid for use with international students studying within the U.S. and significant differences were found in the mindset scores within gender, academic rank, age, and first-generation status. The results of this study inform the literature and institutions of higher education on how Dweck’s (1999) mindset model can be used as another tool to help international students succeed in college. Future research implications were shared and discussed.

Denna studie har syftat till att undersöka om ekonomisk tillväxt kan sägas leda till minskade koldioxidutsläpp och därmed vara en lösning på miljöproblematiken. Genom att jämföra produktionsbaserade och konsumtionsbaserade koldioxidutsläpp ger studien en uppfattning om ekonomisk tillväxt leder till minskade utsläpp eller endast en omställning i ekonomin. Studiens resultat har estimerats med en fixed effects-modell och baserats på utsläpps-och inkomstdata för 105 länder under åren 1990 till 2016. Undersökningen har visat att ekonomisk tillväxt kan leda till minskade produktionsbaserade koldioxidutsläpp men att ett liknande samband för konsumtionsbaserade utsläpp inte kan konstateras. Resultaten implicerar att minskade produktionsbaserade utsläpp reflekterar en omställning i ekonomin, snarare än minskade totala utsläpp. Utifrån resultaten dras slutsatsen att ekonomisk tillväxt inte kan sägas leda till minskade totala koldioxidutsläpp.