Zugl.: Bonn, Univ., Diss., 2006 / Includes bibliographical references (p. [289]-304) and index.

Zugl.: Witten, Herdecke, University, Diss., 2006 u.d.T.: Wubben, Bernd: German cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the United States. / Description based on print version record.

Thesis (M. Econ.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 23-25).

Thesis (M.Econ.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 23-25). Also available in print.

Des poudres de phosphates de calcium carbonatés amorphes ou cristallisés en apatite ont été synthétisées par voie aqueuse. La carbonatation est effectuée de deux manières différentes : pendant la synthèse où la quantité de carbonates introduits dépend du rapport molaire carbone/phosphore des réactifs et de la température de synthèse, ou par post carbonatation de poudres phosphocalciques grâce à des échanges ioniques de surface en solution. Les phosphates de calcium amorphes sont composés de cluster de Posner de formule chimique générale : Ca9-x-y(PO4)6-2x-2y(HPO4)2x(CO3)2y,nH2O. Les poudres d’apatite sont decristallinité variable en fonction des paramètres de synthèse. Composées à coeur de nanocristaux d’apatite de formule chimique générale Ca10-x-y(PO4)6-x-y(HPO4)x(CO3)y(OH)2-x-y-2z(CO3)z, elles peuvent comporter en surface une couche hydratée phosphocalcique et non-apatitique plus ou moins importante. Ces poudres sont consolidées par frittage flash ou Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) à basse température. Ce frittage, réalisé à 150°C, ne conduit qu'à peu ou pas de consolidation lorsque des poudres cristallisées et sans couche hydratée superficielle sont utilisées. A l’inverse, des poudres amorphes ou nanocristallines avec une importante couche hydratée densifient. La consolidation mène à la formation de joints de grains et à la croissance des cristaux des apatites nanocristallines dans le coeur des particules amorphes. La composition chimique des grains cristallisés est Ca10xy(PO4)6xy(HPO4)x(CO3)y(OH)2-x-y-2z(CO3)z. La consolidation est activée par l’application conjointe d’une charge et d’un courant éléctrique pulsé sans lesquels elle n’est pas possible à aussi basse température. Les céramiques résultantes sontmicroporeuses et très cohésives avec de bonnes propriétés mécaniques (résistance à la flexion = 18 MPa). Ces céramiques miment la composion chimique de la phase minérale de l’os et sont suceptibles de présenter des propriétés biologiques supérieures aux matériaux courament utlisés en tant que substituts osseux. / Carbonated calcium phosphates amorphous or crystallized to apatite powders have been synthesized by aqueous route. Carbonation is carried out in two different ways: during the synthesis in which the amount of carbonates introduced depends on the carbone/phosphor molar ratio of reactant and on the synthesis temperature, or by post carbonation of phosphocalcic powders thanks to surface ion exchange in aqueous solution. Amorphous calcium phosphates carbonated are composed of Posner's cluster of general chemical formula: Ca9-x-y(PO4)6-2x-2y(HPO4)2x(CO3)2y,nH2O. Apatite powders are of varying crystallinity depending on the synthesis parameters. It is composed of nanocrystals consisting of an apatitic core of general chemical formula Ca10-x-y(PO4)6-x-y(HPO4)x(CO3)y(OH)2-x-y-2z(CO3)z and may comprise on the surface a hydrated layer phosphocalcic and non-apatitic more or less important. These powders are consolidated by flash sintering or Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at low temperature (150°C). This sintering only led to little or no consolidation when crystallized powders without superficial hydrated layer were used, while amorphous powders densified. Consolidation phenomena, leads to the formaton of grain boundaries and crystal growth in the amorphous particles or crystal growth of apatitic nanocrystals. The chemical composition of the crystallized grains is Ca10-x-y(PO4)6-xy(HPO4)x(CO3)y(OH)2-x-y-2z(CO3)z. Consolidation is activated by the combined application of a load anda pulsed electric current, without which it is not possible at such a low temperature. The resulting ceramics are crystallized into calcium-deficient carbonated apatite, microporous and highly cohesive with good mechanical properties (flexural strength = 18 Pa).These ceramics mimic the chemical composition of the mineral phase of the bone and are susceptible to exhibiting superior biological properties to materials commonly used as bone substitutes.

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Asadollah Esmaeily / In this research, soil consolidation is explored in a comprehensive analytical and experimental study. The pore pressure development and dissipation for clay at its liquid limit under one-dimensional compression was investigated using the mid-plane pore pressure measurements. In general, the Terzaghi’s theory of consolidation predicted the pore pressure dissipation and the percent consolidation accurately as long as the sample was in a normally loaded state. For a preconsolidated state however, the results obtained by Terzaghi theory are doubtful. Coefficient of consolidation for smaller pressures varied during consolidation, and although the soil was in a fully saturated state for relatively high pressure increments, the pore pressure developed was less than the applied pressure. Then, the effect of different pressure increment ratios on one dimensional consolidation tests has been studied. The secondary compression effects have been founded to increase as the pressure increment ratio is reduced. Consolidation of a clay layer delimited between sheets with small permeability was also investigated in this study. The consolidation theory of compressible soils usually assumes drainage-free boundaries. This change in boundary conditions at the drainage surface necessitates the use of an approximate technique for solution of the governing partial differential equation. In this study, the solution was obtained by using the Galerkin Method and compared with the “free drainage” case. As expected, the consolidation in the case of restricted drainage proceeds at a much lower rate. The compression consolidation behavior of trampled clays in a semi- saturated state was also analyzed in this research program. It is generally known that the type and energy of compaction bring about deviations in the soil structure and hence, in its engineering properties. Therefore, in the experimental phase of this study, soils were prepared by different trampling efforts and also by different compaction methods. Finally, a reasonably realistic theory of soil consolidation has been proposed and the effect of variable permeability and compressibility on the consolidation behavior was investigated followed by a mathematical treatment of the behavior. Subsequently, laboratory consolidation tests with mid-plane pore pressure measurements were conducted on different kinds of clay.

D.Comm. / The purpose of this study was to build a comprehensive, holistic people integration process model for people integration during mergers and acquisitions (M&As). M&As is a popular and frequently used strategic initiative by organisations to grow their business. It has been estimated that 80% of M&As are unsuccessful in producing any shareholder value. In many cases lack of culture integration, a people aspect, is mentioned as one of the main reasons for M&A failure. Poor people integration during M&As is thus a major cause of M&A failure and motivated this research. The research objective was firstly, to build a model from current best practice in the M&A field. In building this model (Model P) inputs were received during interviews from experts and practitioners in the M&A field. The second research objective was to build a theoretical model (Model T) based on an in-depth literature review. The third research objective was to verify Model T with experts and practitioners in the M&A field. A questionnaire was distributed to experts and practitioners in the M&A field. The findings from the verification process were integrated with the findings from a comparison between Model T and Model P and a final model (Model TP) was built. The last research objective was to apply Model TP to two case studies in order to demonstrate the practical use of Model TP. The research process was completed upon arriving at Model TP and illustrated its practical use in the M&A field. The overall conclusion in the study was that the main difference between Model T and Model P turned out to be in the model design. Model T was based on an organic model design whereas Model P had a linear design. An organic model design was also chosen for Model TP. The reasons for choosing an organic model design were that this design emphasised the complex interrelationships and dynamic tension of the building blocks within the people integration model. That means that a change in any of the building blocks would impact on the other elements of the model. The contents of the models, i.e. the actual building blocks of the practice model and the theory model, were very similar. This implies that experts and practitioners in the M&A field have the necessary knowledge of what a successful people integration process entails. A comprehensive, holistic people integration process may not have been documented academically, but practitioners do have the knowledge of effective integration of people during M&As.

We study, using the non-parametric data envelopment approach, we investigated the long-run profit efficiency dynamics and the short-run market reaction of nine pre-classified merger deals of merging and non-merging U.S. banks over the time period from 1992 to 2003. Our main results are as follows: First, merger deals that match least efficient acquirers with the least efficient targets could improve their profit efficiency four years following the merger event, unlike all other merger deals. Second, we find that mergers match least efficient acquirers with the least efficient targets could also achieve significant positive cumulative access returns (CARs) while all other deals were followed by significant negative CARs. Third, we find that, in general, that large-size acquirers have and maintain higher and efficiency scores than targets and non-merging banks. Fianally, the value-maximizing mergers are mostly large in size and match banks with clear chances to increase their future efficiency rankings.

Thesis advisor: Elizabeth A. Kensinger / Research in three parts investigated sleep’s preferential consolidation of memories for experiences that are prioritized at encoding due to intrinsic characteristics (e.g., emotion), extrinsic characteristics (e.g., instructed learning, reward), or both. Results showed that sleep broadly strengthens memory for future-relevant information, with these prioritization cues at encoding aiding in the selection process for what is subsequently strengthened during sleep. Part I investigated the effects of sleep on the consolidation of information that was prioritized at encoding due to the intrinsic cue of emotion. Results showed that even once the emotionally salient aspect of the stimuli was removed (i.e., when memory was tested using a neutral cue), residual effects of emotion were reflected in enhanced visual activity following sleep, with this visual activity correlating with the percentage of rapid eye movement sleep obtained during consolidation and likely driven by enhanced occipital-hippocampal connectivity following sleep. This suggests that sleep prioritizes information that was salient due to the intrinsic cue of emotion at encoding, leading to changes in neural activity during retrieval even once that intrinsic cue is no longer present. As in Part I, most prior research has examined how sleep preferentially consolidates memory for information that is salient due to a single cue for future relevance. Part II investigated whether future relevance can be assigned to stimuli via top-down manipulations (i.e., extrinsic prioritization cues), as well as how sleep prioritizes memory for information when intrinsic and extrinsic cues for future relevance co-occur within the same stimuli. Results suggest that when multiple dimensions of future relevance co-occur, sleep prioritizes extrinsic cues (i.e., instructed learning, and to a lesser degree, reward) over intrinsic cues (i.e., emotion). Further, results suggest that additional cues for future relevance do not have additive effects on consolidation, but rather that sleep may binarize information based on whether it is future-relevant or not, preferentially consolidating memory for the former category. Lastly, Part III focused on a manipulation of extrinsic prioritization at encoding to investigate both how the effects of prioritization on memory differ minutes after encoding relative to after long-term consolidation processes take place, and also whether these effects depend on if a healthy versus restricted amount of nocturnal sleep is obtained during the consolidation interval. Results showed that a top-down manipulation of prioritization (i.e., typographical cueing) was effective in enhancing memory; highlighted relative to non-highlighted content was better remembered at multiple time points, with evidence suggesting that N3 (slow-wave) sleep may contribute to these memorial benefits. Together, findings across Parts I-III suggest that sleep selectively strengthens future-relevant information, elucidating which cues for future relevance at the time of encoding lead to enhanced consolidation following sleep, as well as how sleep acts on intrinsic and extrinsic prioritization cues when they co-occur. In identifying intrinsic targets of sleep’s selective consolidation effects, as well as extrinsic manipulations that can be applied to use sleep as a tool to enhance consolidation, these three studies have important implications for optimizing memory that are relevant across domains. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.