Neste trabalho examinamos os efeitos do controle e governança familiar nas decisões de fusões e aquisições (M&A). Analisamos 420 empresas não-financeiras listadas na BM&FBovespa entre 1997 e 2007 e encontramos que empresas controladas por famílias empresarias por meio de excesso de direitos de voto são mais propensas a se engajar em atividades de M&A. Encontramos também que empresas cujo presidente do conselho de administração é um membro da família controladora, a probabilidade de crescimento via M&A diminui. Finalmente, encontramos que as atividades de M&A em empresas controladas por famílias prejudicam o desempenho operacional de longo prazo. Em conjunto, mecanismos de excesso de controle parecem atenuar a restrição de recursos financeiros das famílias para perseguir o crescimento via M&A, entretanto, esta estratégia de crescimento gera resultados operacionais inferiores. Estes resultados têm importantes implicações para a literatura de governança e para a prática empresarial em países emergentes como o Brasil. / We examine the effect of family control and governance on merge and acquisitions (M&A) decisions. We analyze 420 Brazilian non-financial firms from 1997 to 2007 and found that family-controlled firms with excess of control rights are more likely to engage in M&A transactions. We unravel that family chairman reduces the likelihood of family firms to grow through M&As. We also find that M&A activities in family controlled firms are detrimental to their operational performance in the long-run. Overall, family control enhancing mechanism seems to attenuate family limited resources to expand through M&A, where institutions are weak and the capital market is not developed, but this growth strategy leads to poor operational performance. Altogether, these results have important implications for corporate governance research and practice in emerging economies like Brazil.

A novel system was developed that provides drivers lane merge advisories, using vehicle trajectories obtained through Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC). It was successfully tested on a freeway using three vehicles, then targeted for further testing, via simulation. The failure of contemporary simulators to effectively model large, complex urban transportation networks then motivated further research into distributed and parallel traffic simulation. An architecture for a closed-loop, parallel simulator was devised, using a new algorithm that accounts for boundary nodes, traffic signals, intersections, road lengths, traffic density, and counts of lanes; it partitions a sample, Tennessee road network more efficiently than tools like METIS, which increase interprocess communications (IPC) overhead by partitioning more transportation corridors. The simulator uses logarithmic accumulation to synchronize parallel simulations, further reducing IPC. Analyses suggest this eliminates up to one-third of IPC overhead incurred by a linear accumulation model.

Data-flow analysis is an integral part of any aggressive optimizing compiler. We propose a framework for improving the precision of data-flow analysis in the presence of complex control-flow. We initially perform data-flow analysis to determine those control-flow merges which cause the loss in data-flow analysis precision. The control-flow graph of the program is then restructured such that performing data-flow analysis on the resulting restructured graph gives more precise results. The proposed framework is both simple, involving the familiar notion of product automata, and also general, since it is applicable to any forward or backward data-flow analysis. Apart from proving that our restructuring process is correct, we also show that restructuring is effective in that it necessarily leads to more optimization opportunities. Furthermore, the framework handles the trade-off between the increase in data-flow precision and the code size increase inherent in the restructuring. We show that determining an optimal restructuring is NP-hard, and propose and evaluate a greedy heuristic. The framework has been implemented in the Scale research compiler, and instantiated for the specific problems of Constant Propagation and Liveness analysis. On the SPECINT 2000 benchmark suite we observe an average speedup of 4% in the running times over Wegman-Zadeck conditional constant propagation algorithm and 2% over a purely path profile guided approach for Constant Propagation. For the problem of Liveness analysis, we see an average speedup of 0.8% in the running times over the baseline implementation.

Research on analogies in science education has focussed on student interpretation of teacher and textbook analogies, psychological aspects of learning with analogies and structured approaches for teaching with analogies. Few studies have investigated how analogies might be pivotal in students’ growing participation in chemical discourse. To study analogies in this way requires a sociocultural perspective on learning that focuses on ways in which language, signs, symbols and practices mediate participation in chemical discourse. This study reports research findings from a teacher-research study of two analogy-writing activities in a chemistry class. The study began with a theoretical model, Third Space, which informed analyses and interpretation of data. Third Space was operationalized into two sub-constructs called Dialogical Interactions and Hybrid Discourses. The aims of this study were to investigate sociocultural aspects of learning chemistry with analogies in order to identify classroom activities where students generate Dialogical Interactions and Hybrid Discourses, and to refine the operationalization of Third Space. These aims were addressed through three research questions. The research questions were studied through an instrumental case study design. The study was conducted in my Year 11 chemistry class at City State High School for the duration of one Semester. Data were generated through a range of data collection methods and analysed through discourse analysis using the Dialogical Interactions and Hybrid Discourse sub-constructs as coding categories. Results indicated that student interactions differed between analogical activities and mathematical problem-solving activities. Specifically, students drew on discourses other than school chemical discourse to construct analogies and their growing participation in chemical discourse was tracked using the Third Space model as an interpretive lens. Results of this study led to modification of the theoretical model adopted at the beginning of the study to a new model called Merged Discourse. Merged Discourse represents the mutual relationship that formed during analogical activities between the Analog Discourse and the Target Discourse. This model can be used for interpreting and analysing classroom discourse centred on analogical activities from sociocultural perspectives. That is, it can be used to code classroom discourse to reveal students’ growing participation with chemical (or scientific) discourse consistent with sociocultural perspectives on learning.

The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey North (GOODS-N) field, first surveyed by the HST, has been observed across numerous wavebands revealing populations of both Star Forming Galaxies (SFG) and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) over wide ranges of luminosities. It has been surmised that the evolution in the star forming population appears to diverge from that in the AGN population leading to a domination of SFGs at low flux densities. The number of starbursts can only be disentangled from the entire population if each source can be classified individually, which usually requires high angular resolution imaging. This is the motivation behind the e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution survey, e-MERGE, which expands the depth of high resolution radio imaging in the GOODS-N field to increase the number of potentially classifiable sources. By use of wide-field imaging techniques, including a new high-speed mapping tool, together with a new semi-empirical primary beam-shape model for the e-MERLIN array, a deep wide-field high-resolution map is derived. This is the widest and deepest contiguous imaging yet obtained from e-MERLIN and JVLA observations, and yet contains less than 25% of the e-MERLIN data so far observed. The majority of the objects are shown to exhibit extended structure, and the angular size distribution place the median size around 1.2 arcsec, peaking between 0.5 and 0.7 arcsec. Automated algorithms are utilised to facilitate a new probabilistic classification tool based on multi-parameter correlations. 248 sources could be classified using the tool, each deriving a probability of AGN or SFG rather than forcing a binary category. Linear sizes of star-formation dominated sources are determined to lie in a range of 4 - 11 kpc, within the optical extent of galaxies. Differential source counting based on probabilistic classifications reveals that an increase in the luminosity evolution of SFGs is likely, although an apparent upturn in AGN may also exist to some lesser degree at low flux densities. The thesis establishes a clear roadmap for the remainder of the e-MERGE survey and a path to determine the star formation rate history of the Universe.

In this thesis report, an approach to use Microsoft Kinect to scan an object and providea 3D model for further processing has been proposed. The additional requiredhardware to rotate the object and fully expose it to the sensor, the drivers and SDKsused and the implemented software are discussed. It is explained how the acquireddata is stored and an efficient storage and mapping method requiring no specialhardware and memory is introduced. The solution proposed circumvents the PointCloud registration task based on the fact that the transformation from one frame tothe next is known with extremely high precision. Next, a method to merge theacquired 3D data from all over the object into a single noise-free model is proposedusing Spherical Transformation and a few experiments and their results aredemonstrated and discussed.

Neste trabalho examinamos os efeitos do controle e governança familiar nas decisões de fusões e aquisições (M&A). Analisamos 420 empresas não-financeiras listadas na BM&FBovespa entre 1997 e 2007 e encontramos que empresas controladas por famílias empresarias por meio de excesso de direitos de voto são mais propensas a se engajar em atividades de M&A. Encontramos também que empresas cujo presidente do conselho de administração é um membro da família controladora, a probabilidade de crescimento via M&A diminui. Finalmente, encontramos que as atividades de M&A em empresas controladas por famílias prejudicam o desempenho operacional de longo prazo. Em conjunto, mecanismos de excesso de controle parecem atenuar a restrição de recursos financeiros das famílias para perseguir o crescimento via M&A, entretanto, esta estratégia de crescimento gera resultados operacionais inferiores. Estes resultados têm importantes implicações para a literatura de governança e para a prática empresarial em países emergentes como o Brasil. / We examine the effect of family control and governance on merge and acquisitions (M&A) decisions. We analyze 420 Brazilian non-financial firms from 1997 to 2007 and found that family-controlled firms with excess of control rights are more likely to engage in M&A transactions. We unravel that family chairman reduces the likelihood of family firms to grow through M&As. We also find that M&A activities in family controlled firms are detrimental to their operational performance in the long-run. Overall, family control enhancing mechanism seems to attenuate family limited resources to expand through M&A, where institutions are weak and the capital market is not developed, but this growth strategy leads to poor operational performance. Altogether, these results have important implications for corporate governance research and practice in emerging economies like Brazil.

Submitted by Sónia Pilar Casaleiro Ramos (pilar.c.ramos@gmail.com) on 2013-12-04T12:30:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Pilar Ramos_2013.pdf: 5471744 bytes, checksum: 008407b9db5af4c4d55d13afceb3957a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2013-12-10T11:37:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Pilar Ramos_2013.pdf: 5471744 bytes, checksum: 008407b9db5af4c4d55d13afceb3957a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2013-12-16T15:57:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Pilar Ramos_2013.pdf: 5471744 bytes, checksum: 008407b9db5af4c4d55d13afceb3957a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-12-16T15:57:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Pilar Ramos_2013.pdf: 5471744 bytes, checksum: 008407b9db5af4c4d55d13afceb3957a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-03 / The objective of the present study is to put in perspective the M&A occurred in Brazil on the telecommunications sector and was based on a qualitative analysis of five events, using the methodology of event studies and their impact over the stock prices returns and their historic records. According with the five analysed events 3 showed abnormal negative returns and 2 abnormal positive returns for both companies (target and acquiror). The used methodology showed that the 3 events demonstrated evidences of value depreciation for the companies involved. / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo contextualizar as F&A ocorridas no Brasil no setor das telecomunicações e fundamentou-se numa análise qualitativa de 5 eventos recorrendo à metodologia de estudo de eventos e o seu impacto sobre o valor das ações. De acordo com os 5 eventos analisados, 3 apresentaram retornos anormais acumulados negativos e 2 eventos com retornos anormais positivos para ambas as empresas (adquirente e adquirida), pelo que podemos inferir que esses 3 eventos de F&A não geraram valor às firmas envolvidas.

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企業社會責任對於企業經營之重要性日益提高，本文研究標的為公司企業社會責任之提昇，將藉由併購事件，關注被併公司董事會成員的加入與主併公司併購前後企業社會責任績效差異之關聯。本文使用單變量分析法及最小平方法。實證結果主要有兩個發現，首先，不論併購前被併公司之企業社會責任績效較主併公司好或壞，被併公司董事會成員加入主併公司對於主併公司之企業社會責任績效有負向的影響。顯示被併公司董事會成員之加入整體而言降低了併購後公司的企業社會責任能力及資源運用。第二，當被併公司之企業社會責任績效好時，前述的負向效果顯著較被併公司之企業社會責任績效壞時小，顯示來自企業社會責任績效較好的董事會成員可以減低此負向效果。 本文貢獻主要有三，第一，過去少有同時結合併購、董事會成員變化、企業社會責任績效三項議題之文獻，透過這三項議題，能幫助我們從不同的角度來探討董事會成員與企業社會責任績效的關聯。第二，併購後被併公司董事會成員加入主併公司與企業社會責任之關聯過去少有文獻提及，本研究有利於後續關於董事會新成員之決策效率等方面之研究。第三，本文發現不同來源之被併公司董事會成員可以為帶來不同程度的效果，後續可研究董事會成員是否能帶給主併公司學習效果。 / This thesis examines the relevance of post-merger target board directorship on the acquirer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR). Our empirical results suggest that appointing board directors from target would impair the CSR performance of the acquirer, and that, acquiring a more socially responsible target would in fact alleviated such negative impact. Our findings add to the surprisingly scarce literature on the relationship between board directorship and CSR performance under the context of merge and acquisitions. Most important, we provide new insights on post-merger acquirer CSR performance in consequence of director appointments from social responsible/irresponsible targets.