The overall objective of the study was to determine the financial characteristics of companies involved in merger activity. More specifically, the study aims to determine: (a) whether acquired companies possessed financial characteristics similar to previous failed companies (the 'failing-company' hypothesis); (b) whether acquiring companies possessed financial characteristics similar to previous failed companies and (c) the impact of acquisition on the post-acquisition performance of acquiring companies, and particularly to consider whether their performance differs according to the financial characteristics of the companies they acquired. A new "bankruptcy prediction" model, contemporary with the acquisition data, was derived, tested for robustness, and applied to samples of acquired and acquiring companies. An indirect test of the 'failing-company' hypothesis was carried out by comparison with the results obtained on application of the model to control groups of non-acquired and non-acquiring companies. The test indicated that a higher proportion of acquired companies possessed financial characteristics similar to failed companies than the control group of non-acquired companies. This evidence tends to support the 'failing-company' hypothesis as a motive for mergers for acquired companies. Conversely, there was no such evidence in support of the hypothesis for acquiring companies. The approach adopted also allowed the dichotomy of acquired companies (failing vs. non-failing) which made it possible to test for differential post-acquisition performance of the acquiring companies. In order to evaluate the post-acquisition performance of acquiring companies, three different measurement criteria were adopted. They were: (a) accounting-based profitability and gearing ratios (b) industry-standardardised profitability measure (Meeks (1977)) and (c) performance analysis-scores (PAS-score) (Taffler (1983)). The results indicated that the acquiring companies generally incurred a decline in their post-acquisition profitability measures, while they increased their gearing ratios. Generally, the group acquiring potentially failing companies exhibited 'superior' post-acquisition performance compared with the group acquiring "non-failing" companies. These findings support the managerial motives for mergers since there appears to be little evidence that mergers are undertaken to increase profitability as implied in neoclassical motives. They also suggest the possible need for a review of public policy towards mergers; perhaps mergers ought to be encouraged only if they prevent impending bankruptcy by the acquisition of failing companies.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor's Degree in Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2006. / Managers and employees are faced with an increasing number of complex challenges including implementing and maintaining multiple management systems/codes of practice such as safety, environment and quality, increasing competitive advantage and showing continued sustainability with limited resources. In addition, corporate scandals like Enron and the impact of the Aids pandemic on the economy of a country, further burden the responsibility of managers and employees. Operating all these management systems/codes of practice in parallel, however, duplicates documentation, makes auditing the systems difficult and decreases employee morale. Hence, this study reviewed related literature which represented secondary sources of information, to determine the most suitable management systems/codes of practice, to show the benefits of using integrated management systems and to select appropriate business improvement tools to promote business excellence. It developed a simple management system and designed integrated documentation to support these integrated systems. A model was developed. The Process Approach was used as a foundation to develop this model which integrated safety, environmental management, corporate governance, quality and HIV/Aids management systems/codes of practice. The SECQA model is the name proposed for the model, it provides a holistic model to facilitate world class performance. This part of the study represented the qualitative method of research. The quantitative method of research complimented the findings above by using interviews with key role players, a pilot study of two manufacturing organisations and a principal study of thirty manufacturing and service organisations. The pilot and principal studies were conducted on organisations from the Kwa Zulu-Natal region and the interviews were conducted with representatives from Gauteng and Cape Province. Questionnaires were designed using open-ended and closed-ended type questions and together with interviews formed the primary source of information. The challenges of employees working with management systems and the suitability of the SECQA model were established from the questionnaire. The possible advantages and disadvantages of the SECQA model were also shown. The strengths and weaknesses of the management systems and how they can be addressed and overcome by the model are presented. The challenges that were evident from the results of the interviews and pilot study were that respondents found that there was a lack of resources, lack of training and understanding of the management systems by employees within their organisation. From the results of the principal study it was apparent that some organisations did not have the infrastructure and had limited resources to support multiple management systems. There was a lack of support from senior managers. Safety, environment and quality managements systems were the most commonly used in organisations. Most organisations found that their management systems were beneficial. Benchmarking, cause and effect diagrams and brainstorming were the most common business improvement tools used by organisations. / D

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) has issued a Recommendation CCSDS 401.0-B for Radio Frequency and Modulation Systems to be used in Earth stations and spacecraft. Part of this Recommendation is a standardized design tool for link budget computations. This design tool is intended to assist spacecraft designers in preparing the power and performance designs of their spacecraft for communicating with existing standard ground stations. The present CCSDS Recommendation addresses a link design typical for that found with the Deep Space Network (DSN). DSN link analyses use a large subset of link-specific parameters not of any particular use if the space data link passes through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The link architecture also differs in that the TDRSS parameter set needs to include an extra link through the satellite (two-hop) link versus a DSN-type link which is single-hop. Conversely, the treatment of ranging, PN coding requirements, and TDRSS acquisition and data group formalities are either not of the same format or not present at all on the DSN-type links. The baseline CCSDS 401 design tool is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that can run on an IBM PC or compatible computer. This baseline spreadsheet has been modified to account for the differences between baseline CCSDS model and TDRSS link operations. The paper will discuss the modifications made to the spreadsheet for the TDRSS system details. We will also present example usages of the spreadsheet.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Telemetry attributes are the detailed items of information needed for a receiving/processing system to acquire and process data from a given test item. There are currently as many different ways to describe telemetry attributes as there are different organizations which provide them (instrumentation groups and aircraft/missile manufacturers) and use them (telemetry processing systems/test ranges). The Telemetry Attributes Transfer Standard (TMATS) has been developed as a method of standardizing the transfer of telemetry attributes information. This paper describes the TMATS standard and discusses its purpose and application.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / With the rapid employment of wireless networks commercially, the military is seeking viable solutions for providing high-speed wireless network throughout the battle space. The IEEE 802.11a wireless LAN presents an attractive solution pro-viding up to 54 Mbps data-link bandwidth. Moreover, it operates in the less congested 5-GHz U-NII band and possesses more operating channels. This research implemented two prototype systems using low-cost commercially available hardware. The Cisco Ai-ronet 1400 wireless bridge and the Proxim Tsunami MP. 11a wireless system were chosen for their superior specifications and for their reputation of being market leaders in IEEE 802.11 wireless products. The performances of the prototype systems were evaluated in three operational environments (land, water and vegetation). The data collected were then compared to the theo-retical performance. / Civilian, Ministry of Defense, Singapore

In recent decades, there has been renewed interest in examining the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Unfortunately, researchers have found that there is limited empirical research on the effectiveness of quality special education teacher preparation programs, specifically those programs specializing in the education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest special education organization, conducts research on the standards needed by teachers who serve children and youth with exceptionalities. These CEC standards are recommended to serve as a guide for teacher preparation programs in special education. Utilizing the CEC standards delineated for preparation programs in EBD, the present study sought to determine how graduates of one program perceived the importance of the standards and their perceived proficiency in using the standards in their work with students with EBD. Results indicated that graduates viewed the standards as Important to their work with students with EBD. Further, they viewed their proficiency in using the standards to be above average. In addition, the present study examined the relationship between graduates perceived importance and perceived proficiency in using the CEC standards. Results indicated that graduates who had higher score ratings on their perceived importance of the standards tended to have higher ratings on their perceived proficiency scores.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' new 802.16 standard is set to revolutionize the delivery of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), much as the 802.11 "Wi-Fi" standard transformed wireless access to Local Area Networks. The standard describes a set of Medium Access Controls (MAC) and Air Interfaces that cover a broad range of broadcast frequencies and applications. As a result, manufacturers are developing 802.16 compliant equipment for high speed point-to-point circuits and point-to-multipoint circuits dubbed Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs). These networks can span several miles and contain hundreds of subscribers. Shortly after 802.11 "Wi-Fi" systems became widespread, several serious Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerabilities inherent to the standard were discovered. This thesis examines the MAC layer of the 802.16 standard to determine whether these types of denial of service vulnerabilities are also present in the new standard. Also examined are vulnerabilities that may be unique to the 802.16 standard. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

M.Cur. / The natural progress of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is enlargement and rupture. The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms has increased in the past 30 years and up to 50% of the patients with untreated aneurysms will die due to rupture within 5 years. Open surgery is effective in the prevention of rupture and can be performed with a mortality of 2 -5% in most cases. However, patients with aneurysms are generally older and have associated medical co-morbidities, which increase the risk in surgical intervention. In view of these associated risks with open surgery for abdominal aorta aneurysm repair, a less invasive option such as endoluminal stent-grafts, are often preferred. This new, less invasive technique with Parodi as pioneer has several advantages for patients, the greatest being the reduction in peri-operative risks of aneurysm repair. As in all new procedures, this new intervention sets specific requirements for quality peri-operative nursing. Within the legal-ethical framework of nursing there is no room for random nursing, and we as nurses must turn to protocols and standards applicable to quality nursing, and in effect the quality assurance process. Quality nursing care delivery to the patient remains the ideal of each nurse. The endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, although less invasive, is still associated with major morbidity and mortality. The potential for complications is a reality. Complications are mainly systemic and/or procedure related. The reality of these complications affects the quality of nursing. Finally, the need to accommodate this problem requires that protocol/standards are established for the nursing of the patient with an endoluminal repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm by means of an endovascular stent-graft. The following question can be asked in view of the above arguments and problem statement: How must these patients be nursed peri-operatively to ensure quality nursing care? The aim of this study is to compile protocol/standards for quality nursing of patients with an erldovascular stent-graft repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in a Coronary Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital in Cape Town.

M.Com. (International Accounting) / The definition of control and the non-consolidation of special purpose entities in group annual financial statements became a topic of concern and focus to investors, securities exchange regulators and accounting professionals after the global financial crisis. The global financial crisis began in 2007 and was caused in part, by investors not being able to access reliable information about the risk levels of entities in which they had invested. Organisations from around the world began to focus on financial reporting and auditing standards in order to determine how the crisis had occurred and how it could be prevented in the future. The focus has highlighted the definition of control, which would determine whether an entity would be consolidated into a group of companies or not, and the disclosure of the decisions, judgements and assumptions made by management when determining whether to consolidate an entity. Stakeholders have pushed for a framework for consolidation to ensure that entities would not be able to hide poorly performing investments and be able to easily determine the risks that the group is exposed to as a result of management’s investment policies. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has responded to the requirements of stakeholders and the critiques of the previous definitions of control by releasing International Financial Reporting Standard 10: Consolidated Financial Statements (IFRS 10) in 2011, which prescribes the latest definition thereof. The research study will establish the historical international development of the definition of control in various accounting contexts as prescribed by the IASB and its predecessors. The definition of control as prescribed by other financial reporting standards will be analysed, but as IFRS 10 is the first financial reporting standard to be released with a significantly different definition, it will form the main focus of the study. Definitions and opinions as stated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will be assessed for comparability and context. The study will assess whether the latest definition of control is considered to be complete and sufficient to apply to all situations where the question of control has to be evaluated. A qualitative research design in a critical framework has been adopted for this research. The research traces the origins of the definition of control and makes a critical assessment of each definition prescribed by the IASB and its predecessors. The research is structured in chapters dedicated to specific decades, which detail the definition prescribed at the time, the reasons for any changes to definitions prescribed in previous periods and an assessment thereof. This research has found that the IASB’s definition of control has changed significantly over the past 60 years, the most significant change being the way in which control relating to investments in other entities has been defined. The IASB has moved away from the concept of control being based on majority share ownership, to a definition based on risk and reward exposure and the decision making capabilities of the investor. IFRS 10 is effective for companies with a financial year beginning on or after 01 January 2013 and the effects of the new definition of control have yet to be analysed. The definition of an asset has followed suit, and is no longer based on the property rights to an asset, but is rather based on flows of economic benefits to an entity with the latest working definition being ii based on control. The new definition of an asset is in line with the objective of the IASB to create a principles-based financial reporting framework, rather than a rules-based framework which prescribes the required accounting methods for assets and investments. The new definition of an asset is currently a working definition contained in an exposure draft, the purpose being to allow users of IFRS to comment until the cut off date in 2014. Once formal feedback has been considered, the IASB will determine whether the new definition of assets should be adopted or not. The Conceptual Framework within which the new definition is to be contained forms the base on which all other financial reporting standards are structured and other exposure drafts have been released. All the new definitions of control that have been released in new financial reporting standards, exposure drafts and discussion papers are more in line with a decision making framework for control rather than a rules-based or risks and rewards framework. These are however limited to the financial reporting standard in which they have been released, and are not interchangeable or applicable to other types of transactions. The IASB has not released any statements which indicate that the development of a universally applicable definition of control is a priority or an objective at this time.