Western European Arms Export and Asylum Immigration: A Connection? On the Determinants of Asylum Immigration to Western Europe

My contribution is focused to a modest framework creation for asylum-immigration theory. By means of arms-export data from 17 Western European countries, tested against inflow of asylum seekers to these countries, covering the past 26 years, it is clear that arms-export from these countries do not contribute to their own asylum-inflow. The main theoretical contribution to existing literature on arms export and migration is therefore that I separate plausible causes of outgoing migration (arms export to countries from where asylum flows are generated) from determinants of asylum immigration. Empirically, I disprove such hypothetical indirect connections put forward both within academic literature and by NGOs like Amnesty International. Instead, I find the counter-intuitive, namely that increased arms export leads to less asylum immigration. Also, in contrast to previous literature on asylum immigration, I build on Granovetter (1973) and propose that diffusion of information through asylum networks depend on weak social connections as opposed to close relationships like ethnic bonds, family ties and friendships. In addition, I problematize the tendency of existing literature to treat asylum seekers as labor migrants and argue for a framework founded on principles which account for the unique circumstances and life situations faced by asylum seekers. In doing so I also extend on previous quantitative works and find that crucial determinants for inflow are signified by the generosity of the welfare state, absence of far right sentiments, and religious diversity. The wealth of a country, its general quality of life, its linguistic and ethnic fractionalization, do not appear to matter

Exploring response inhibition, the behavioral inhibition system and possible sex differences in athletes and non-athletes

Background: The objective of this study was to revisit the question concerning whether athletes are better than non-athletes at fundamental cognitive abilities, such as inhibitory control, in addition to also focusing on motivational dispositions and possible sex differences. Adding the latter could be crucial since both inhibitory control and motivational dispositions, such as approach and avoidance, are central to goal-directed behavior. Methods: This study’s sample was composed of 93 participants (40 males): 29 biathletes; 30 alpine skiers; and 34 non-athletes. A non-sport-specific stop-signal task was used for the assessment of inhibitory control in terms of response inhibition, and the motivational dispositions were assessed with the BIS/BAS scales. Results: The results showed that there were no differences between the two different sports or non-athletes with regard to response inhibition. However, females showed significantly slower response inhibition than males (p = 0.018) and scored significantly higher on the trait variable BIS (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that it might be meaningful to explore the contribution of sex differences and motivational dispositions on response inhibition in conjunction with different types of sports.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An Empirical Analysis of Barriers to Building Information Modelling (BIM) Implementation in Wood Construction Projects: Evidence from the Swedish Context

Building information modelling is gradually being recognised by the architecture, engineering, construction, and operation industry as a valuable opportunity to increase the efficiency of the built environment. Focusing on the wood construction industry, BIM is becoming a necessity; this is due to its high level of prefabrication and complex digital procedures using wood sawing machines and sophisticated cuttings. However, the full implementation of BIM is still far from reality. The main objective of this paper is to explore the barriers affecting BIM implementation in the Swedish construction industry. An extensive literature review was conducted to extract barriers hindering the implementation of BIM in the construction industry. Secondly, barriers to the implementation of BIM in the wood construction industry in Sweden were extracted using the grounded theory methodology to analyse expert input on the phenomenon of low BIM implementation in the wood construction industry in Sweden. Thirty-four barriers were identified. The analysis of this study also led to the development of a conceptual model that recommended solutions to overcome the barriers identified to help maximise BIM implementation within the wood construction industry. Identifying the main barriers affecting BIM implementation is essential to guide organisational decisions and drive policy, particularly for governments that are considering articulating regulations to expand BIM implementation

Size-dependent long-term tissue response to biostable nanowires in the brain

AbstractNanostructured neural interfaces, comprising nanotubes or nanowires, have the potential to overcome the present hurdles of achieving stable communication with neuronal networks for long periods of time. This would have a strong impact on brain research. However, little information is available on the brain response to implanted high-aspect-ratio nanoparticles, which share morphological similarities with asbestos fibres. Here, we investigated the glial response and neuronal loss in the rat brain after implantation of biostable and structurally controlled nanowires of different lengths for a period up to one year post-surgery. Our results show that, as for lung and abdominal tissue, the brain is subject to a sustained, local inflammation when biostable and high-aspect-ratio nanoparticles of 5 μm or longer are present in the brain tissue. In addition, a significant loss of neurons was observed adjacent to the 10 μm nanowires after one year. Notably, the inflammatory response was restricted to a narrow zone around the nanowires and did not escalate between 12 weeks and one year. Furthermore, 2 μm nanowires did not cause significant inflammatory response nor significant loss of neurons nearby. The present results provide key information for the design of future neural implants based on nanomaterials

Hemlöshet - fem livsberättelser

ABSTRACT Authors: Lina Bengtsson, Pär Eriksson Title: Homelessness – Five life stories Supervisor: Carina Tigervall Assessor: Anders Östnäs The purpose of this essay was to describe and analyze five persons process to and from homelessness in order to gain a deeper understanding of why Sweden, with it's well-developed welfare state, still has a problem with homelessness. To answer this question we conducted qualitative interviewees with five people who have previous experiences of homelessness. In order to allow our respondents to tell their story with as little intervention from our side as possible while at the same time making sure that we brought up all relevant questions for our study, we used a life-history interview method whit the aid of a themed based interview guide. To analyze what their path to homelessness looked like and how they perceived their homelessness we used the theory of stigma and labeling. And to understand what their way out of homelessness looked like we used the Exit process theory. Our conclusion is that homelessness is a very complex problem and many factors on many levels play a part in the interview persons life development. Key words: homelessness, stigma, labeling, exit, proces

Holistic methodological framework for assessing the benefits of delivering industrial excess heat to a district heating network

In Sweden, over 50% of building heating requirements are covered by district heating. Approximately 8% of the heat supply to district heating systems comes from excess heat from industrial processes. Many studies indicate that there is a potential to substantially increase this share, and policies promoting energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction provide incentives to do this. Quantifying the medium and long-term economic and carbon footprint benefits of such investments is difficult because the background energy system against which new investments should be assessed is also expected to undergo significant change as a result of the aforementioned policies. Furthermore, in many cases, the district heating system has already invested or is planning to invest in non-fossil heat sources such as biomass-fueled boilers or CHP units. This paper proposes a holistic methodological framework based on energy market scenarios for assessing the long-term carbon footprint and economic benefits of recovering excess heat from industrial processes for use in district heating systems. In many studies of industrial excess heat, it is assumed that all emissions from the process plant are allocated to the main products, and none to the excess heat. The proposed methodology makes a distinction between unavoidable excess heat and excess heat that could be avoided by increased heat recovery at the plant site, in which case it is assumed that a fraction of the plant emissions should be allocated to the exported heat. The methodology is illustrated through a case study of a chemical complex located approximately 50 km from the city of Gothenburg on the West coast of Sweden, from which substantial amounts of excess heat could be recovered and delivered to heat to the city\u27s district heating network which aims to be completely fossil-free by 2030

Life without professional work-perceptions about one’s self, interpersonal relations and social life after retirement

The aim of this study is to understand how healthy, older adults in Sweden perceive their life situation after retirement. The study is based on a lifeworld approach, and a phenomenographic method was used. Eighteen participants were interviewed, and data were analysed according to the phenomenographic principle of qualitatively different categories. Two categories were developed. The first category, “perceptions that draw attention inward, towards one’s self”, was further described in three subcategories: Sense of decreased status in society, the desire to keep aging at a distance, and contemplation of one’s own existence. The second category, “perceptions that draw attention outward, away from one’s self” was further described in the following four subcategories: caretaking of family members, involvement in social relationships, finding of deep meaning in animals and nature and engagement with society. In the discussion, the findings are further illuminated through comparisons with concepts such as maturity, wisdom and gerotranscendence, and reflections on the findings’ relevance to a caring context follow. The conclusion suggests this study can provide knowledge that will allow healthcare providers to bridge the gap between generations in order to provide high-quality care. However, for a more profound caring dialogue, for example, about the end of life, a deeper analysis is required