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Private equity challenge - Elmos Semiconductor Se - financial modelling
No full textThis paper presents an investment thesis on a hypothetical leveraged buyout of Elmos
Semiconductor SE, a key player in the semiconductor industry known for its mixed-signal
system solutions. With a strategic focus on automotive innovation, Elmos is positioned to
benefit from the trends towards premiumization and electrification of vehicles. The thesis
is underpinned by strategic acquisitions, workforce expansion and operational
efficiencies. Valued at an EV/EBITDA multiple of 10.8x, Elmos represents a promising
investment with an enterprise value of €1,756m. The analysis covers financial modeling,
capital structure optimization and potential exit strategies and forecasts significant growth
and returns for investors
O papel das bombas de efluxo na resistência aos antimicrobianos em isolados clínicos de Neisseria gonorrhoeae
No full text"A gonorreia, causada pelo agente etiológico Neisseria gonorrhoeae, é a segunda infeção
bacteriana de transmissão sexual mais frequente. Em 2020, a Organização Mundial da
Saúde estimou 82,4 milhões de casos desta infeção. A emergência de resistência às
diferentes classes de antibióticos, impõe sérias limitações terapêuticas. A atividade de
bombas de efluxo (BEs) demonstrou ser uma componente importante no
desenvolvimento de resistência. Identificaram-se pelo menos cinco sistemas de efluxo,
MtrCDE, MtrF, MacAB, NorM e FarAB, associados ao transporte de diversos
antimicrobianos. (...)"N/
The Digital Markets Act and its Role in Regulating Gatekeepers: Implications for Big Tech M&A and Future Merger Policy
No full textThis thesis explores the implications of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in regulating Big Tech mergers and acquisitions within the European Union. With the rise of dominant digital platforms, concerns regarding market fairness, innovation suppression, and competition have intensified. By analyzing Article 14 and 18 of the DMA, alongside the interpretation and application of Article 22 of the European Union Merger Regulation, this
research evaluates the DMA's effectiveness in addressing regulatory gaps such as the under-enforcement of acquisitions involving startups with low turnover but high potential. It investigates whether the DMA's obligations sufficiently improve the existing shortcomings and whether current merger control frameworks require amendments to address the unique challenges posed by digital markets. Through a combination of legal
doctrinal analysis, empirical data, and recent judgements the thesis provides insights into the DMA’s regulatory mechanisms and proposes policy reforms to ensure fair and contestable markets.Esta dissertação explora as implicações do Digital Markets Act (DMA) na regulamentação das fusões e aquisições das Big Techs na União Europeia. Com o crescimento das plataformas digitais dominantes, aumentaram as preocupações sobre a equidade do mercado, a supressão da inovação e a concorrência. Ao analisar os Artigos 14 e 18 do DMA, juntamente com a interpretação e aplicação do Artigo 22 do Regulamento das Concentrações da União Europeia, esta pesquisa avalia a eficácia do DMA em abordar lacunas regulatórias—como a fiscalização insuficiente de aquisições que envolvem startups com baixo faturamento, mas alto potencial. Examina se as obrigações estabelecidas pelo DMA corrigem suficientemente as deficiências existentes e se os atuais marcos de controle de fusões precisam de alterações para enfrentar os desafios específicos apresentados pelos mercados digitais. Por meio de uma combinação de análise doutrinária jurídica, dados empíricos e julgamentos recentes, a dissertação oferece insights sobre os
mecanismos regulatórios do DMA e propõe reformas políticas para garantir mercados justos e contestáveis
Assessing the interactions between the circadian clock and gibberellin signalling in rice
No full text"Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population and the
livelihood of one-fifth, thus making it an economically important crop. Unfortunately, rice
production is being compromised by climate change, which increases the prevalence of
abiotic stresses and the frequency of extreme-events. These factors negatively affect
productivity and yield, thereby compromising food security. Hence, research on plants'
external perception of stimuli is fundamental for reducing the trade-off between growth
and stress responses. This research aims to investigate this regulation in rice by finding
new molecular components connecting the circadian clock with growth and development.
Here, we proved the direct interaction between GIGANTEA (OsGI), a clock-regulated
protein that regulates several stress responses, and SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1), rice’s only
DELLA protein involved in GA-mediated growth. Four novel common OsGI-SLR1
interactors were also discovered from known SLR1 interactors (YABBY4; GID1; EL1 and
BZIP23) during this research/...)"N/
O Quarto de Ames como aporte para a discussão e problematização da Teoria do Conhecimento, numa perspetiva interdisciplinar
No full textDurante a Prática de Ensino Supervisionada (PES), realizada no âmbito do Mestrado em Ensino de Filosofia no Ensino Secundário, desenvolveu-se um projeto que integrou teoria e prática, com a aplicação de conceitos da Filosofia. A PES decorreu na Escola Salesiana do Estoril, no concelho de Cascais, distrito de Lisboa, durante o ano letivo de 2023-2024. A questão central e orientadora do trabalho foi a de envolver os alunos numa metodologia ativa, de modo a propiciar o protagonismo, estimular a autonomia, o senso crítico, a investigação, a organização e a autoavaliação. O projeto integrou as aprendizegens essenciais de Filosofia do 11.º ano do Sistema Nacional de Educação de Portugal, na especificidade da Filosofia do Conhecimento. O trabalho trata da construção de um quarto de ilusão de ótica, nos moldes do Quarto de Ames, sendo a materialização de um itinerário de reflexão e problematização em torno da Teoria do Conhecimento, entre o racionalismo cartesiano e o empirismo humano, e as fontes de justificação do conhecimento. Ao longo do processo, o projeto convidou, acolheu e integrou a disciplina de Geometria Descritiva, sem a qual o projeto teria o perigo de se perder no detalhes e pormenores técnicos. Se, por um lado, o projeto estimulou os alunos da turma a pensarem e repensarem teorias, por outro, foi capaz de extrapolar os limites da disciplina da Filosofia e chamar ao diálogo epistemológico outras áreas do conhecimento, gerando curiosidade, questionamentos e encantamento.During the Supervised Teaching Practice (PES), carried out as part of the Master's in Philosophy Teaching in Secondary Education, a project that integrated theory and practice was developed, applying concepts from Philosophy. The PES took place at the Salesian School of Estoril, in the municipality of Cascais, Lisbon district, during the academic year 2023-2024. The central guiding question of the work was to engage students in an active methodology, aiming to foster protagonism, stimulate autonomy, critical thinking, research, organization, and self-assessment. The project incorporated the essential learnings of Philosophy for Year 11 of the National Education System of Portugal, specifically focusing on the Philosophy of Knowledge. The work involved the construction of a room of optical illusion, in the style of the Ames Room, materializing a pathway of reflection and problematization around the Theory of Knowledge, between Cartesian rationalism and Human empiricism, and the sources of justification of knowledge. Throughout the process, the project invited, welcomed, and integrated the discipline of Descriptive Geometry, without which the project risked getting lost in details and technicalities. While the project encouraged the students in the class to think and rethink theories, it was also able to transcend the boundaries of the discipline of Philosophy and engage in epistemological dialogue with other areas of knowledge, generating curiosity, questioning, and enchantment
Global atomic and group contribution models for prediction of the thermal conductivities of deep eutectic solvents
No full textFunding Information:
The authors are grateful to Shiraz University and the University of Isfahan for providing facilities. Also, the parts of the research which were carried out at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry- LAQV, received support and help from FCT/MCTES (LA/P/0008/2020 DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0008/2020, UIDP/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50006/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50006/2020), through national funds by CEEC IND5ed (DOI 10.54499/2022.05803.CEECIND/CP1725/CT0003).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier B.V.Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are often categorized as novel green solvents. Knowledge of the thermal conductivity of a solvent in an industrial process is vital for the optimization of energy utilization. Considering the vast number of DESs introduced to date, it is practically impossible to measure all their thermal conductivities. Thus, it is vital to have predictive models that can predict the thermal conductivities of various DESs, and at different temperatures. For this purpose, a large data bank was collected, including 338 data points from 56 DESs of various natures. The data were used to develop a group contribution (GC) model and an atomic contribution (AC) model to predict the thermal conductivities of DESs. The calculated AARD% values of 7.62 % and 9.52 % for the proposed GC and AC models, respectively, indicated reliable performance and promising predictions for both models. The models were also compared to well-known literature models.authorsversionpublishe
A note on weighted sums of i.i.d. random variables
No full textFunding Information:
This work is funded by national funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the scope of project UIDB/04035/2020 (GeoBioTec).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Inc.Given a sequence {Xn,n⩾1} of independent and identically distributed random variables such that E|X1|p<∞ for some 1<p<2, and a triangular array {an,j,1⩽j⩽n,n⩾1} of real numbers monotonic with respect to one of the indices satisfying max1⩽j⩽n|an,j|=O(1), n→∞, it is shown that n−1/p∑j=1nan,j(Xj−EXj)⟶a.s.0.authorsversionpublishe
Unlocking new revenue opportunities through strategic reflection and innovation: how is Abraço’s food service positioned within its competitive landscape?
No full textAbraço is a Portuguese non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting individuals affected by
HIV, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections, while also promoting public health and
social initiatives. This work project examines innovative strategies to strengthen Abraço's
operational and financial sustainability by enhancing existing revenue streams and introducing
a new one. Therefore, the scope of the analysis consists of improving the psychological
consultation and food service units, alongside developing a go-to-market strategy for a new
business unit: a soft skills training programme to meet community needs while generating
sustainable income
Effect of recycled concrete powder on the evolution of the static yield stress of cement paste
No full textFunding Information:
This research was funded by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through PhD programme PD/BD/150397/2019 that supports the CERIS research unit (Instituto Superior Técnico).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier LtdCurrent research on recycled concrete powder (RCP) influencing the cement-based material's rheology primarily focuses on the initial rheology, with limited attention given to long-term rheology (rest time over 60 min). This work investigates RCP influencing the paste's static yield stress evolving with time (10–120 min). Results show that RCP significantly influences the cement paste's static yield stress, increasing it by about 89 times when the incorporation ratio of RCP reaches 25 % and rest time extends to 120 min. According to existing theoretical foundations and models, it is believed that the underlying influencing mechanisms can be elaborated from three aspects: the cementitious particle system's colloidal and contact interactions and the cementitious paste's structural build-up rate. RCP improves the particle system's capacity to adsorb polycarboxylate ether (PCE), lowering the average coverage ratio of the particle surface coated by PCE and the separation distance between particles, thus increasing the initial colloidal interactions. This promotes flocculation and strengthens the colloidal network, raising the paste's static yield stress; RCP increases the particle system's average size, volume fraction, packing density, and hydration degree and decreases particle number and hydrated volume, thus affecting the contact interactions evolution over time. However, the highest incorporation ratio does not result in the highest contact interactions; RCP promotes the paste's early hydration, generating more stable C-S-H. This accelerates the connections between the particles transition from flexible colloidal to rigid bridging, increasing the paste's structural build-up rate, thus raising the linear growth rate of the paste's static yield stress.authorsversionpublishe
Forecasting cost-per-click of keywords in Google’s competitive paid search advertising market: leveraging competitive dynamics using graph neural networks
No full textAccurately forecasting Cost-per-Click of paid search advertising is essential for performance
marketers to allocate budgets that optimize marketing campaign returns. In this study, we perform
a comprehensive analysis using various time-series forecasting methods to predict daily average
CPC of keywords in the car rental sector. Our results show the power of statistical models on noisy
keyword-level CPC time-series on short to medium horizons, only being outperformed by more
complex neural networks on longer horizons. Advanced forecasting approaches leveraging
competition did not yield significant accuracy improvements. Additional experiments with fine tuned foundational models for time-series showed promising results, optimizing practicality and
accuracy