Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / College campuses are places of education and innovation for students, faculty, and the community of which they are a part. Universities have a unique opportunity to serve as the premier catalyst for development, which gives them the power to create new communities that are more than educational facilities. Nova Southeastern University, in Davie, Florida, is one such institution. The project site is 30 acres in the southwest corner of Nova’s campus. The blighted and disconnected strip mall currently composing the site will transform into an integrated and diverse mixed-use development that acts as a thriving icon for the university and surrounding community. Program elements included in the project are a medical research center, a library/bookstore, a hotel, retail, office, entertainment, and residential. Enhancing the social network of the university and community on one site, while creating a sense of place, is the design’s priority. Making an informed connection between theory and practice in landscape architecture, planning, and design is what gives this project validity. The design solution is a product of research, precedent studies, regional and site specific inventory and analysis, and client and personal goals. Integration between the campus and community is achieved by three design principles: 1) Place Making, 2) Connections, and 3) Community. These design principles establish and inform the social, physical, and natural systems at work in the design, as well as the user experience. A welcoming, comfortable, exciting, and iconic environment is created through the character of the place by attracting people to the site through place making. Connections are made between the site and the existing campus, the surrounding community, and the site users by physical layout and relationships. Program elements, dimensions, spatial ratios, building type, and shared amenities all exploit interaction and instill a sense of community. Each design principle is interconnected with the others, enhancing and enforcing the design as a whole.

Russian-born American composer, Lera Auerbach (b. 1973), is a pianist and composer with a growing reputation. She has written nearly a dozen works for solo piano in addition to ballets, operas, chamber works, and other solo instrumentations. Her solo piano work 24 Preludes for Piano, op. 41 (1998) is the first of three prelude sets she has written; op. 41 is scored for solo piano, op. 46 is composed for violin and piano, and op. 47 is written for cello and piano. Throughout her works, Auerbach's compositional language is intuitively polystylistic, tonally centered, and couched in traditional forms. In her 24 Preludes for Piano, op. 41, Auerbach creates a polystylistic and motivically cohesive large-scale work of the individual preludes. In this document, three aspects of the 24 Preludes for Piano, op. 41 are discussed in two parts: form, most significant polystylistic influences, and most prominent motivic connections. The first part of the document investigates two aspects: the form of each prelude and several polystylistic influences. Auerbach uses form to give each short prelude structure; ABA and Arch forms are most often used. Each of the preludes demonstrates different polystylistic elements; she refers to various genres such as the ricercar and chorale prelude as well as various techniques including stretto and additive rhythms. Additionally, Auerbach pays polystylistic homage to different composers including Bartók, Debussy, Mussorgsky, Purcell, Ravel and others. The second part of the document demonstrates several of the underlying motivic connections that unify the collection. The cohesion is created through self-referencing motivic connections that are best heard when the set of twenty-four is performed in its entirety. Auerbach's series of polystylistic miniatures is also an organically unified large-scale work.

A new structural system for multi-storey timber buildings has been developed over the last seven years at the University of Canterbury. The system incorporates large timber structural frames, whereby semi-rigid beam-column connections are created using post-tensioning steel tendons. This system can create large open floor plans required for office and commercial buildings. Several material properties of the engineered timber used were determined based on small-scale experimental testing. Full-scale testing of beams, connections and frames resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of the behaviour of such systems. Numerical, analytical and framework models also led to the development of design equations and procedures which were validated with the acquired experimental data.

The present thesis is an empirical analysis of lobbying in the United States. First, it analyses an added value of lobbyists' specialisation and connections to congressmen using a method of matching. Second, it extends the analysis by studying the impact of competition for access to congressmen on the added value of lobbyists. Third, it analyses lobbying from the point of view of congressmen by studying the impact of their specialisation on committee assignments on the amount of campaign financing they obtain from lobbyists. The analysis is done using data about lobbying reports as well as committee assignments of congressmen and campaign contributions they obtain from lobbyists in the 106th to 110th congress, corresponding to years 1999-2008. The present thesis also provides a brief summary of related literature analysing different aspects of lobbying.

Initiatives in many countries to improve learner performances in mathematics in poor communities have been described as largely unsuccessful mainly due to their cursory treatment of curriculum alignment. Empirical evidence has shown that in high achieving countries the notion of coherence was strongly anchored in cognitively demanding mathematics programs. The view that underpins this study is that a cognitively demanding and coherent mathematics curriculum has potential to level the playing field for the poor and less privileged learners. In South Africa beyond 1994, little has been done to understand the potential of such coherent curriculum in the context of the NCSM. This study examined the levels of cognitive demand and alignment between the written, tested and taught NCSM. The study adopted Critical Theory as its underlying paradigm and used a multiple case study approach. Wilson and Bertenthal’s (2005) dimensions of curriculum coherence provided the theoretical framework while Webb’s (2002) categorical coherence criterion together with Porter’s (2004) Cognitive Demand tools were used to analyse curriculum and assessment documents. Classroom observations of lesson sequences were analysed following Businskas’ (2008) model of forms of mathematical connections since connections of different types form the bases for high cognitive demand (Porter, 2002). The results indicated that higher order cognitive skills and processes are emphasized consistently in the new curriculum documents. However, in the 2008 examination papers the first examinations of the new FET curriculum, lower order cognitive skills and processes appeared to be emphasized, a finding supported by Umalusi (2009) and Edwards (2010). Classroom observations pointed to teachers focusing more on rote learning of both concepts and procedures and less on procedural and conceptual understanding. Given the widespread evidence of the tested curriculum impacting on the taught curriculum, this study suggests that this lack of alignment between the advocated curriculum on one hand, the tested and the taught curricula on the other, needs to be investigated further for it endangers the teaching and learning of higher order cognitive skills and processes in the FET mathematics classrooms for the poor and less privileged. Broader evidence suggests that this would work against efforts towards supporting the upward mobility of poor children in the labour market.

Thesis advisor: Thomas Chemmanur / My dissertation is comprised of three chapters. In this first chapter, I study the effect of social connections on mutual fund investors' information production and accuracy of their signals. While connected investors have access to information in their social network (information diffusion effect), social connections also reduce their incentives to acquire costly information, since they can free ride on connected peers ("free riding on friends" effect). I find this negative "free riding on friends" effect of social connections dominates information diffusion effect in the mutual fund industry, using fund managers' connections built upon their prior career experiences. First, I find that connected funds are more likely to hold the same stocks and to trade in the same direction, relative to unconnected funds. Second, I find that funds with lower network centrality earn higher alphas, even after controlling for other fund and manager characteristics. A one-standard-deviation increase in eigenvector centrality predicts a decrease of 29-37 basis points in annualized fund alphas. Third, when I define a stock-level variable PMC (Peripheral minus Central) as the difference in average portfolio weights between peripheral funds and central funds, I find that stocks with higher PMC have significantly higher abnormal stock returns. A one-standard-deviation increase in PMC predicts an increase of 1.48%-1.52% in the next quarter risk-adjusted returns (annualized). Finally, I find that PMC predicts firms' future earnings surprises. In the second chapter, co-authored with Thomas Chemmanur, Yingzhen Li, and Jie Xie, we propose a "noisy signaling" hypotheses of open market share repurchase (OMSR) programs, where the equity market equilibrium that prevails after OMSR program announcements is a partial pooling rather than a fully separating equilibrium. We argue that two complementary mechanisms, namely, actual share repurchases by firms and information production by institutions, serve to reduce the residual equity market information asymmetry facing firms subsequent to OMSR program announcements. We test the implications of this noisy signaling hypothesis using transaction-level data on trading by institutions and by a subsample of identified hedge funds, and find strong support for the above hypothesis. In the third chapter, co-authored with Thomas Chemmanur, and Jiekun Huang, we analyze how the geographical locations of institutions affect their investments in IPOs and various characteristics of the IPOs that they invest in. We argue that institutions geographically close to each other may free-ride on each other's information when evaluating IPOs, resulting in IPOs dominated by geographically clustered institutions reflecting less accurate information signals compared to those dominated by geographically dispersed institutions. We find that the equity holdings of institutions in IPOs are influenced more by the investments made by neighboring institutions. We show that an increase in the geographical dispersion of the institutions investing in an IPO is associated with higher IPO price revisions, higher firm valuations at offering and secondary market, larger IPO initial returns, greater long-run post-IPO stock returns lower information asymmetry facing an IPO firm in the equity market. Finally, the predictive power of institutional trading post-IPO for subsequent long-run stock returns and earnings surprises for the first fiscal-year end after the IPO is greater for geographically isolated institutions compared to those that are geographically clustered. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Finance.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo estudar o maravilhoso, enquanto um gênero narrativo, e propõe uma investigação comparativa entre a literatura e o cinema. O recorte estabelecido ficou circunscrito ao gênero dos contos maravilhosos , privilegiando a estória de A Bela e a Fera em algumas de suas variantes, comparadas à sua matriz Eros e Psique. Quanto ao cinema foi escolhido o gênero da ficção científica, elegendo o filme Matrix I como objeto de análise, apontando sua convergência estrutural com os contos, baseada na teoria de Vladimir Propp. O problema proposto foi o de encontrar possíveis elos de ligação entre a literatura milenar dos contos e o cinema moderno.Ou seja, Como o cinema - em alguns de seus gêneros- pode se conectar com o maravilhoso na literatura? / The purpose of this research is to study the \"wonderful\" as a narrative gender , and to propose a comparative investigation between literature and cinema. The cutout established has been limited ( circumscribed ) to the gender of the wonder tales favoring the story of the Beauty and the Beast in some of its variatios ( alternatives ), compared to its source Eros and Psyche . With regard to cinema the gender of science fiction has been chosen , selecting ( choosing ) the film Matrix 1 as the object of analysis , pointing out its structural convergence with the tales , based on the theory of Vladimir Propp.

Um dos tipos de ligação mais comum em estruturas de madeira é aquele feito por meio de parafusos solicitados transversalmente (pino metálico). A revisão da ABNT NBR:7190 de 1997, que introduziu os conceitos do Método dos Estados Limites, apresentou alteração nos critérios de dimensionamento dessas ligações, levando a resultados diferentes em relação à norma anterior, de 1982, de acordo com o meio técnico-científico. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma comparação dos critérios de dimensionamento das normas ABNT NBR:7190, versões 1997 e 1982, com as normas EUROCODE 5: 2004, LRFD: 1996, AS: 1994, que possuem grande tradição na utilização de estruturas de madeira. Após a realização da comparação teórica entre os critérios, foi realizada experimentação em modelos de ligação, para a situação com maior divergência. Para pequenas relações entre a espessura da peça de madeira e o diâmetro do pino, os resultados obtidos na comparação teórica indicaram que os valores de resistência calculados pela ABNT NBR7190: 1997 são inferiores aos calculados pelas outras normas, enquanto que, para valores elevados dessa relação e com madeira de maior resistência, os valores obtidos pela norma brasileira podem ser superiores. / Bolts laterally loaded (metal dowel-type) are the most commonly used connectors in timber structures. The review of the NBR: 7190 1997 standard that introduced the concepts of the states limit method showed changes in design criteria of bolts, reaching different results compared to the previous standard, 1982, according to the scientific technician staff. In this context, the aim of this study was to compare the design criteria of NBR standards: 7190, versions 1997 and 1982, and standards of other countries with great tradition in the use of timber structures. After the theoretical comparison of the criteria, an experimental evaluation in connections was done considering the case with greater divergence. For small relationships between the thickness of the timber member and the bolt diameter, theoretical results indicated that the strength values calculated by ABNT NBR7190: 1997 are lower than those calculated by other standards, while for high values of this relationship and wood of higher strength classes, the values obtained by Brazilian standards may be higher.

A utilização da madeira compensada como componente de estruturas permanentes ainda é pouco difundida no Brasil, apesar de ser bastante utilizada em diversos países, onde tem se mostrado bastante eficiente como solução competitiva, segura e durável. O estudo do embutimento de pinos metálicos no compensado visa fornecer subsídios técnicos para o desenvolvimento desta tecnologia no país. Foram realizados ensaios de embutimento com os três diâmetros de prego e três de parafuso mais recomendados para estruturas de madeira, em oito chapas de madeira compensada, caracterizadas em ensaios especificados por normas brasileiras, avaliando a aplicação, para o compensado, do método de ensaio de embutimento em madeira maciça proposto pela NBR 7190/97, \"Projeto de estruturas de madeira\", concluindo que este é aplicável quando se utiliza espessuras comerciais do compensado como espessura do corpo de prova. Foram também realizados ensaios para análise dos efeitos da pré-furação no comportamento do compensado no embutimento. Um modelo numérico foi desenvolvido, utilizando o programa ANSYS v.5.2, para simular o comportamento do compensado no embutimento, encontrando resultados satisfatórios para elementos compostos por camadas e considerando comportamento elasto-plástico do compensado. Os resultados mostraram a viabilidade técnica da utilização do compensado em estruturas de madeira. / The use of plywood as a component of permanent structures is still not very diffused in Brazil, although it has been used in several countries, where it has been considered efficient as a competitive, safe and durable solution. The study of the embedment of steel dowels in plywood aims to supply parameters for the development of this technology in the country. Embedment tests were carried out with six different nail and bolt diameters recommended for timber structures, in eight types of plywood, characterized in tests specified by Brazilian norms. Such tests evaluated the application of the method of embedment tests in massive timber proposed by the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT), NBR 7190/97, \"Design of timber structures\", concluding that it was applicable when the commercial thickness of plywood was used as thickness of the specimen. Tests were realized for the analysis of the pre-hole effects on the behavior of the plywood in the embedment. A numerical model was developed, using the ANSYS v.5.2 program, to simulate the behavior of the plywood in the embedment, finding satisfactory results for composed elements for layers and considering the elasto-plastic behavior of plywood. The results showed the technical viability of the use of plywood in the construction of timber structures.

A pesquisa buscou compreender como a paisagem de Paranapiacaba acontece em sua complexidade, a partir da ótica daqueles que tecem o cotidiano e fazem da Vila o que ela é de fato. Ao considerar o desafio de articulação entre distintos olhares sobre a paisagem, optou-se pela abordagem qualitativa, lançando mão de ferramentas vindas de diferentes disciplinas, com a intenção de abrir o diálogo com outros campos do conhecimento favoráveis à leitura do fenômeno da vida cotidiana. De um modo geral, a pesquisa constatou que a paisagem acontece no dia a dia de Paranapiacaba por movimentos de inconstâncias e ambiguidades que por vezes se revelam de maneira intensa e mostram que, apesar de essa ser uma relação de afetos, nem sempre é uma relação afetuosa. Além de ambígua e paradoxal, aquela paisagem revelou suas múltiplas feições: não somente grandiosa, monumental e exuberante, mas também, pequena, recolhida. Por se revelar à luz do corriqueiro, da rotina e do trivial, definem aquilo que denominamos paisagem banal. / The current research sought to understand the means by which the landscape of Paranapiacaba happens in its complexity, from the perspective of those who weave the daily life and make the Vila what it really is . In face of the challenge of articulating different perspectives on the landscape, we chose a qualitative approach, using tools from different disciplines, with the intention to open the dialogue with other fields of knowledge related to the understanding of the phenomenon of daily life. In general, the research realized that the landscape of Paranapiacaba happens in the daily life through movements of inconstancy and ambiguities that sometimes reveal themselves in a very intense way, showing that although this is a relation of affections, it does not mean that the relationship is always affecionate. In addition to being ambiguous and paradoxical, this landscape revealed its multiple features: not only magnificent, monumental and exuberant, but also, small and withdrawn. By revealing itself in the light of the ordinary, the routine and the trivial, it is defined as a banal landscape.