Knowledge matters in politics and a wide range of factors influence politicians’ use of research. One element that has been identified as relevant is the media. However, this has mainly been a theoretical conclusion, in want of empirical underpinning. In this thesis the topic is examined intensively through a quasi-experimental comparison and a mechanism tracing. The cases in focus are the Swedish earned income tax credit and surplus goal, and the concrete hypotheses concern whether the intensity and cohesion of the media coverage of research influence politicians' references to knowledge in debates. The results of the comparison suggest that there is a correlation between the intensity of the media coverage and the use of references in debates, whereas it is harder to say anything about the cohesion. Furthermore, a series of mechanisms explaining the relationship in detail are proposed. Among these is one indicating that vote maximi-sation encourages alignment of knowledge use with the media coverage, and another illuminating the practice of cherry-picking research results that are mentioned in the press. The conclusions thus not only tell us something about how the media influences knowledge use, but also advance the debate on symbolic knowledge use among politicians.

The subject of this thesis "The development of international retail companies in the Czech republic and its economic aspects" is a comprehensive evaluation of the operation of international food retail companies focused on supplier-customer relationships. The dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the origin and characteristics of modern retail chains and instruments of analysis assess the competitive forces in the industry. The second part is devoted to the parameters of business conduct and analysis of the allocation of economic surplus in favor of the retailer. The third part is devoted to the role of prices in the retail, including price wars and its impact on suppliers and consumers

The diploma thesis focuses on the specification of suitability of legal entities to invest in securities "Exchange Traded Funds" in the current conditions of the Czech Republic. The results of the thesis serve to present alternative, modern ways to invest surplus money and get a new yield. Conclusions can be used by senior management of designated legal entities.

The theme of this diploma theses is surveillance capitalism. Its aim is to provide comprehensive insight into the key aspects of this phenomenon that has a significant impact on the global economy and society as a whole. The first part of the thesis deals with the topic of information society and its transformational effect on the economical sphere and surveillance system. It reveals some of the key issues following this new state of society and postmodern surveillance practices as well. The second part of the thesis aims to define what is meant by surveillance capitalism, to uncover the principles and the economic imperatives that dominate various stages of the development and finally to outline the threats and ethical problems this new logic of assimilation has brought in.

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Companiesissuing insurance cover, in return for insurance premiums, face the payments ofclaims occurring according to a loss distribution. Hence, capital must be heldby the companies so that they can guarantee the fulfilment of the claims ofeach line of insurance. The increased incidence of insurance insolvencymotivates the birth of new legislations as the European Solvency II Directive.Companies have to determine the required amount of capital and the optimalcapital allocation across the different lines of insurance in order to keep therisk of insolvency at an adequate level. The capital allocation problem may betreated in different ways, starting from the insurance company balance sheet.Here, the running process and efficiency of four methods are evaluated andcompared so as to point out the characteristics of each of the methods. TheValue-at-Risk technique is straightforward and can be easily generated for anyloss distribution. The insolvency put option principle is easily implementableand is sensitive to the degree of default. The capital asset pricing model isone of the oldest reliable methods and still provides very helpful intermediateresults. The Myers and Read marginal capital allocation approach encouragesdiversification and introduces the concept of default value. Applications ofthe four methods to some fictive and real insurance companies are provided. Thethesis further analyses the sensitivity of those methods to changes in the economiccontext and comments how insurance companies can anticipate those changes.

According to recent studies, the number of schools that have severely limited or eliminated recess and free-play opportunities is on the rise across the nation. School officials cite the increasing levels of state and federal pressure to perform on standardized tests as the primary reason for this shift away from the playground. The threat of lawsuits and safety concerns are also listed as factors in this change of policy. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of directors of schools, supervisors, principals, assistant principals, teachers, and students regarding recess and free play in three East Tennessee school systems. Representative schools were chosen from each system and examined. In addition, results from standardized test scores as provided by the state of Tennessee were examined for the selected schools. The findings of this study revealed that directors, supervisors, principals, teachers, and students were in favor of recess and stated that offering recess and free-play opportunities provided some benefit to students. Even so, two schools in the study had chosen to limit recess and free-play opportunities to varying degrees whereas the third school maintained a policy of recess breaks. In examining the test data, the two schools that had limited recess were found to have lower test scores than the school that had maintained the integrity of recess. Other factors could attribute to the lower scores. The findings did reveal that limiting recess appeared to offer no significant gain in scores just as providing recess did not appear to cause any decrease in test scores. Stakeholders interviewed expressed the perception that the benefits of having recess outweighed any potential threat of time lost in the classroom. Recommendations for further research include repeating this study in other school settings on a larger scale to see if the same results are realized.

In the era of rapid technological innovation, the convergence of blockchain technology and energy management has garnered significant attention. The escalating numbers of prosumers—individuals both producing and consuming energy—indicate a shift in the energy paradigm, demanding new frameworks for energy exchange. Traditional energy marketplaces have struggled to keep pace with these changes, necessitating a solution that is transparent, decentralized, and tailored to all stakeholders involved. There's a clear opportunity for a platform that not only seamlessly facilitates energy transactions but also addresses wider stakeholder implications. This thesis aims to develop and critically assess a blockchain-based energy marketplace, targeting diverse stakeholders: prosumers, consumers, energy retailers, and the broader environment. The research approach begins with a presentation of a blockchain-driven energy trading model, especially tailored to the Spanish electricity market's specifics. Employing "Grid Singularity" as an open-source tool, the study simulates the virtual interactions between prosumers and consumers, ensuring a practical understanding of the model amidst the complex web of energy utility participants. The implementation of this decentralized platform showcases tangible benefits across the board: prosumers see a notable uptick in revenue, consumers benefit from almost 30% savings on energy expenses, and energy retailers discover new revenue streams, all while promoting an eco-friendly energy landscape. The intersection of blockchain technology with the energy sector, as explored in this study, is not a mere academic exercise but a critical exploration into the future of energy management and trading. By introducing a transparent and equitable trading avenue, the platform empowers prosumers to harness the true economic potential of their energy surplus, further incentivizing the proliferation of renewable energy generation. In essence, this thesis introduces more than just a technological solution; it presents a vision for the future of the energy sector. / I en tid av snabb teknologisk innovation har sammanslagningen av blockchain-teknik och energihantering dragit till sig avsevärd uppmärksamhet. De ökande antalet prosumers – individer som både producerar och konsumerar energi – indikerar en förskjutning i energiparadigmet och kräver nya ramverk för energiutbyte. Traditionella energimarknader har haft svårt att hålla jämna steg med dessa förändringar, vilket kräver en lösning som är transparent, decentraliserad och anpassad till alla inblandade intressenter. Det finns ett tydligt tillfälle för en plattform som inte bara smidigt underlättar energitransaktioner utan också adresserar bredare intressentimplikationer. Denna avhandling syftar till att utveckla och kritiskt bedöma en blockchain-baserad energimarknad, riktad till olika intressenter: prosumers, konsumenter, energiåterförsäljare och den bredare miljön. Forskningsansatsen börjar med en presentation av en blockchain-drivet energihandelsmodell, särskilt skräddarsydd för den spanska elmarknadens specifikationer. Med hjälp av "Grid Singularity" som ett öppet verktyg simulerar studien de virtuella interaktionerna mellan prosumers och konsumenter, vilket säkerställer en praktisk förståelse av modellen mitt i det komplexa nätet av energianvändningsdeltagare. Genomförandet av denna decentraliserade plattform visar påtagliga fördelar över hela linjen: Prosumers ser en märkbar ökning i intäkter, konsumenter gynnas av nästan 30% besparingar på energiutgifter och energiåterförsäljare upptäcker nya intäktsströmmar, allt medan man främjar ett miljövänligt energilandskap. Sammanslagningen av blockchain-teknologi med energisektorn, som utforskats i denna studie, är inte bara en akademisk övning utan en kritisk utforskning av energihanteringens och handelns framtid. Genom att introducera en transparent och rättvis handelsaveny, ger plattformen prosumers möjlighet att utnyttja deras energiöverskotts sanna ekonomiska potential, vilket ytterligare incitament till spridningen av förnybar energiproduktion. I huvudsak introducerar denna avhandling mer än bara en teknologisk lösning; den presenterar en vision för energisektorns framtid.

Backround. Based of my personal observations when employed as a pharmacist in a Saudi hospital it was clear that there were problems with medicine supply to outpatients. This thesis was designed to scientifically investigate the types of shortages, the reason(s) for such problems and potential solutions to the problem. Methods . This study was undertaken using a variety of experimental techniques to determine the views and perceptions of patients, pharmacists, physicians and administrative staff of the hospital under examination. To establish the scale of the problem: focus groups (n=25), structured questionnaires, structured interviews/meetings for health care professionals and a national survey (n=650) were the research tools used to objectively determine the relevant data. The data were analyzed by appropriate statistical methods. Results and Discussion That there was a real problem was quickly established in the data obtained from patients. A similar finding was made for each of the ¿professional groups¿. The central problem was one of shortages of medicines for prescriptions presented by outpatients. It was not a case the medicines were simply not available because they were never stocked but rather a simple shortage in the dispensary stock. It was established the lack of medicines was not due to central budget arrangements but involved prescribing quantities outside of the hospital guidelines which no degree of planning could accommodate. There was also the very unexpected finding that a prescription could be filled in a variety of hospital dispensaries as individuals could access more than one hospital or they could consult more than one physician for the same condition and obtain effectively double the supplies. Communications between the hospital and patients and the health care professionals could all be improved by perhaps increasing the knowledge of the patient about the correct use of medicines. Recommendations. A series of recommendations for future work is provided / Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Around one million tonne of food is annually wasted in Sweden, of which 100,000 tonne of surplus foodis wasted in the retail sector. Even if redistribution of surplus food is the second most preferable optionto reduce food waste according to the food waste hierarchy, only 5% of surplus food in retail is donated.At the same time, food insecurity is a global as well as a Swedish concern. In 2017, 6% of the Swedishpopulation had a low-income standard, and food banks are currently reporting an increasing demand forfood support. The goal of the study was to investigate surplus food donations from grocery stores tofood banks as an approach to address the paradox of food waste and food insecurity. It was done byidentifying challenges and potential lock-in factors, and by analysing practices and success factors toidentify potential best-practices. The study was a qualitative case study and used the sustainabilitytransition framework ‘multi-level perspective’ (MLP) for analysis. The study took part in a collaborationproject to produce a handbook for surplus food donations in retail, which aims to guide actors in retailhow to reduce avoidable food waste by increasing donations. The results showed that there are some basic conditions that are needed for surplus food donations totake place in a safe way. These can be fulfilled in diverse ways, which have been analysed together withsuccess factors and learnings from the literature to give examples of ‘good enough’ practices and bestpractises. This division of ‘good enough and ‘best’ was made to address that small, volunteer-led foodbanks and larger, more experienced ones have quite different opportunities and challenges. Grocerystores also seem to face various practical, economic, and managerial challenges to donating their surplus.The analysis of the challenges showed some potential lock-in factors that contribute to obstructingsurplus food donations to be an integrated part of the food regime. These lock-in factors are mainlyrelated to the devaluation of ecological and social costs of food waste and the low political priority,thereby sustaining a lack of funding, and a ‘waste as a resource’-thinking. Even if there are severalpotential lock-ins that might need to be ‘unlocked’ for surplus food donations to be a part of a radicaltransition to a more sustainable food system, there are still several of the ‘good enough’- and bestpractices that can be implemented to incrementally improve the resource efficiency of the current foodsystem. Surplus food donations may, however, be a key component in the transition towards asustainable food system. / Omkring en miljon ton mat slängs årligen i Sverige, varav 100 000 ton överskottsmat slängs idetaljhandeln. Trots att omfördelning av överskottsmat rankas som det näst bästa alternativet för attminska matsvinnet enligt resurshierarkin för livsmedel, doneras endast 5 % av överskottsmaten idetaljhandeln. Samtidigt är matfattigdom såväl ett globalt som svenskt problem, 2017 hade 6 % av densvenska befolkningen en låg inkomststandard, och livsmedelsbanker rapporterar om en ökandeefterfrågan på mathjälp. Målet med studien var att undersöka donationer av överskottsmat frånlivsmedelsbutiker till matbanker som ett tillvägagångssätt för att minska matsvinn samt matfattigdom.Det utfördes genom att identifiera utmaningar och potentiella inlåsningsfaktorer relaterade till dessa,och genom att analysera praxis och framgångsfaktorer för att identifiera bästa praxis. Studien var enkvalitativ fallstudie och för en bredare analys av strävan mot ett mer hållbart livsmedelssystem såanvändes ramverket "multi-level perspective" (MLP). Studien är en del av ett Vinnovafinansieratsamarbetsprojekt för att ta fram en handbok för livsmedelsdonationer i detaljhandeln, som syftar till attvägleda aktörer inom detaljhandeln hur de kan minska matsvinnet genom ökade donationer av överskott. Resultaten visade att det finns vissa grundläggande förutsättningar som generellt sett behöver uppfyllasför att donationer av överskottsmat ska fungera. Dessa kan uppfyllas på olika sätt, dessatillvägagångssätt har analyserats tillsammans med framgångsfaktorer och lärdomar från litteraturen föratt ge exempel på "bra" praxis och bästa praxis. Denna uppdelning gjordes för att det framkom attmindre, volontärledda matbanker och större, mer erfarna matbanker har olika möjligheter ochutmaningar. Livsmedelsbutiker möter också olika praktiska, ekonomiska och administrativa utmaningarnär det gäller att donera sitt överskott. Analysen av utmaningarna visade några potentiellainlåsningsfaktorer som bidrar till att hindra donationer av överskottsmat från att vara en integrerad del iden nuvarande livsmedels-”regimen”. Dessa inlåsningsfaktorer är främst relaterade till att ekologiskaoch sociala kostnader för matsvinn ofta bortses ifrån, och den låga prioriteringen på den politiskadagordningen. Därmed kvarstår brist på finansiering och ett "avfall som en resurs"-tänk. Även om detfinns flera potentiella inlåsningar som kan behöva "låsas upp" för att donationer av överskottsmat skavara en del av en radikal omställning till ett mer hållbart livsmedelssystem, så finns det även flera bra-och bästa praxis som kan genomföras ändå, för att stegvis förbättra resurseffektiviteten i det nuvarandelivsmedelssystemet. Donation av överskottsmat kan dock vara en nyckelkomponent i omställningen tillett hållbart livsmedelssystem.