EIS - An Imaging Survey for VLT Science

The imaging data assembled by the recently completed ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) are reviewed and their scientific value briefly assessed. Among the various applications, the imaging data has been used to build a large sample of candidate distant clusters of galaxies in the Southern Hemisphere to be used for follow-up observations with the VLT as well as other space and ground-based facilities. Preliminary results from ongoing work to confirm these candidates are reported and the future prospects discussed.Comment: 6 pages, To be published in the Proceedings of the ``VLT Opening Symposium'', Antofagasta (Chile), 1-4 March 199

Testing the Peculiar Velocity Field predicted from Redshift Surveys

The reconstruction of the peculiar velocity field from the 1.936~Jy iras selected sample of galaxies is compared to a similar reconstruction from an optically selected sample. A general method for combining different samples to reconstruct a self-consistent density and peculiar velocity field is presented. The method is applied to determine how sensitive the derived peculiar velocity field is to the characteristics of the sample used. The possibility that the iras galaxies do not trace the general galaxy population is explored adopting a simple model of linear biasing between the iras and optical samples. We find that the velocity fields derived from the two samples are consistent, within the estimated shot noise error, for the case of no relative bias. This result suggests that the predicted peculiar velocity field based on iras samples is not sensitive to the sampling properties of iras galaxies. Combined with previous suggestion of a relative biasing of iras galaxies on small scales (about 5 h^-1Mpc), this result suggests scale dependent biasing.Comment: tar-compressed and uudecoded postscript files, 12 pages+8 figure

Automated Detection of Voids in Redshift Surveys

We present a new void search algorithm for automated detection of voids in three-dimensional redshift surveys. Based on a model in which the main features of the LSS of the Universe are voids and walls, we classify the galaxies into wall galaxies and field galaxies and we define voids as continuous volumes that are devoid of any wall galaxies. Field galaxies are allowed within the voids. The algorithm makes no assumptions regarding the shapes of the voids and the only constraint that is imposed is that the voids are always thicker than a preset limit, thus eliminating connections between adjacent voids through smal breaches in the walls. By appropriate scaling of the parameters with the selection function this algorithm can be used to analyze flux-limited surveys. We test the algorithm on Voronoi tessellations and apply it to the SSRS2 redshift survey to derive the spectrum of void sizes and other void properties. We find that the average diameter of a void is 37\pm 8 \h Mpc. We suggest the usage of this fully automated algorithm to derive a quantitative description of the voids, as another tool in describing the large scale structure of the Universe and for comparison with numerical simulations.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters; 13 page AAS latex file including 1 table, 3 PS figures. Complete uuencoded compressed PostScript file is available at ftp://shemesh.fiz.huji.ac.il or at http://shemesh.fiz.huji.ac.il/papers.htm

History and memory: the left melancholy in The Last Bolshevik by Chris Marker

AbstractThe image of the history in the film The last Bolshevik by Chris Marker consists of a double act of remembrance: remembering the friend and deceased filmmaker, Alexandre Medvedkin, as well as reviewing the history of communism as it succumbs. I discuss the film in the perspective of Enzo Traverso's notion of "left melancholy." The melancholy in the film seeks to redeem the insurgents who have succumbed by fighting for an authentic utopia. In making the double mourning, The Last Bolshevik assumes the pathos of defeat, but aims to save the victims by remembering the idea of the Medvedkin for a cine-train, almost forgotten were it not for the pages celebrated by Jay Leyda in his book Kino: History of Russian cinema and Soviet Union.ResumoA imagem da história no filme Elegia a Alexandre de Chris Marker consiste em um ato duplo de rememoração: lembrar do amigo e cineasta falecido, Alexandre Medvedkin, bem como rever a história do comunismo no momento em que ele sucumbe. Discuto o filme na perspectiva da noção de “melancolia de esquerda” de Enzo Traverso. A melancolia no filme busca redimir os insurgentes que sucumbiram lutando por uma utopia autêntica. Ao fazer o duplo luto, Elegia a Alexandre assume o pathos da derrota, mas almeja salvar as vítimas lembrando da proposta do cinema-trem de Medvedkin, praticamente esquecido não fossem as páginas celebradas por Jay Leyda em seu livro Kino: História do cinema russo e soviético. 

Econofísica e a economia

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Sócio-Econômico. Economia.O objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar a importância da econofísica para a economia hoje em dia, desenvolver sobre o que é a econofísica, quais os campos abordados por ela e como é sua abordagem na economia. Principalmente, destacar o assunto no campo de estudo econômico, pois é onde sua abordagem ainda não foi colocada em prática como no campo da física por exemplo. Demonstrar a diferença na área matemática entre a economia matemática e a econofísica, a qual foi além dos cálculos que ainda são utilizados. Discutir sobre a abordagem macroeconômica atual, a qual foi demonstrada pela econofísica ser insuficiente. E por fim, colocar esse assunto para debate acadêmico, para posteriormente, ele ser inserido como matéria na economi

Corporate governance and compliance in brazilian and portuguese state-owned companies: does it really add value to public enterprises?

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito dos Negócios, Europeu e TransnacionalState-owned companies are significant for the Brazilian and Portuguese economies and societies because they are very interconnected with the productive and service provision sectors. However, the role of stateowned companies in the economies of these countries is under constant scrutiny, because both Brazil and Portugal have used this form of organization for state action with the aim of providing public services and intervention in the economy; however, there are cases in which the creation or even the existence of such state-owned companies lack due motivation and justification according to the constitutional and legal requirements for this. There are legal, social and economic reasons for the existence of state-owned companies. This work intends to demonstrate that there is a legal obligation for state-owned companies to implement compliance and governance programs and that the adoption of these programs based on integrity, transparency, efficiency, accountability has effects in the sense of adding financial and nonfinancial value to public enterprises in order to positively affect the perception of the market, customers and taxpayers about state-owned companies. To achieve its objectives and answer the title’s question, the dissertation will address the concepts of public administration, public interest, stakeholders’ interest, corporate social responsibility, constitutional principles relating to state-owned companies, state and nonstate regulatory powers, corporate governance, compliance, hard law and soft law. In the end, it is expected to provide an adequate answer to resolve the issue and conclude that corporate governance and compliance programs can affect the market and the reputational value of companies. Therefore, this work will focus on the application of governance and compliance rules in state-owned companies in Portugal and Brazil, trying to demonstrate how good company management practices can be a way to increase the value of public companies, valuing the State's assets , encouraging investments, providing greater efficiency and quality to the services provided and, at least, avoiding losses and liabilities.As empresas estatais têm importância significativa para as economias e sociedades brasileira e portuguesa porque estão muito interligadas com os setores produtivo e de prestação de serviços. No entanto, o papel das empresas estatais nas economias desses países está em permanente escrutínio, porque tanto Brasil quanto Portugal lançaram mão desta forma de organização para atuação estatal tendo por fito a prestação serviços públicos e intervenção na economia. Porém, há casos em que a criação ou mesmo a existência de tais empresas estatais carecem de devida motivação e justificativa segundo os requisitos constitucionais e legais para tal. Existem razões jurídicas, sociais e econômicas para a existência de empresas estatais. Este trabalho pretende demonstrar que há uma obrigação legal para as empresas estatais implementarem programas de conformidade e governança e que a adoção destes programas baseados em integridade, transparência, eficiência, prestação de contas produz efeitos no sentido de agregar valor financeiro e não-financeiro aos empreendimentos públicos, de forma a afetar positivamente a perceção do mercado, clientes e contribuintes sobre as empresas estatais. Para atingir seus objetivos e responder à pergunta do título, o trabalho tratará dos conceitos de administração pública, interesse público, interesse das partes interessadas, responsabilidade social corporativa, princípios constitucionais relativos às empresas estatais, poderes reguladores estatais e não estatais, governança corporativa, compliance, hard law e soft law. No final, espera-se fornecer uma resposta adequada para resolver a questão e concluir que os programas de governança corporativa e conformidade podem afetar o mercado e o valor reputacional das empresas. Portanto, este trabalho se concentrará na aplicação das regras de governança e conformidade nas empresas estatais em Portugal e no Brasil, tentando demonstrar como as boas práticas de gestão das empresas podem ser uma maneira de aumentar o valor das empresas públicas, valorizando o ativo do Estado, fomentando investimentos, proporcionando maior eficiência e qualidade aos serviços prestados e, pelo menos, evitando perdas e passivos judiciais e administrativos

Mortality due to ill-defined causes in Brazil (1979-2002) and a predictive model for age

This study focused on the percentage of deaths due to ill-defined causes in Brazil, from 1979 to 2002. The objectives were to: (a) describe changes over the 24-year period; (b) identify the age group in which the percentage of ill-defined causes correlated most closely with the total percentage of ill-defined causes; (c) select a predictive model for the percentage of ill-defined causes in such age group, given the total percentage of ill-defined causes; (d) describe changes in the distributions of each age group in the total ill-defined causes; and (e) verify whether the percentage of deaths in-hospital shows any relationship to the percentage of ill-defined causes. Results showed that the total percentage of deaths from ill-defined causes decreased in Brazil. The percentage of ill-defined causes in the > 50-year age group correlated most closely with the total percentage of ill-defined causes, and cubic regression was the most appropriate predictive model. Age > 50 showed the highest increase in its share of total ill-defined causes from 1979 to 2002. The percentage of in-hospital deaths showed an inverse relationship with the percentage of deaths from ill-defined causes.Estudou-se a porcentagem de mortes por causas mal definidas no Brasil, de 1979 a 2002, com os objetivos de: (a) descrever modificações nesses 24 anos; (b) identificar a faixa etária em que a porcentagem de óbitos por mal definidas mais se correlaciona com a porcentagem total de mal definidas; (c) selecionar um modelo preditivo para a porcentagem de mal definidas nessa faixa etária, a partir da porcentagem total de mal definidas; (d) descrever modificações na contribuição de cada faixa etária no total de mal definidas; (e) verificar se a porcentagem de óbitos ocorridos em hospital relaciona-se com a porcentagem de mortes por mal definidas. Observou-se que a porcentagem total de óbitos por causas mal definidas diminuiu no Brasil. A porcentagem de mal definidas na faixa etária > 50 anos é a que mais se correlaciona com o total de mal definidas: a regressão cúbica é o modelo mais adequado para predição. Essa faixa etária foi a que mais aumentou sua contribuição no total de mal definidas, e a porcentagem de óbitos ocorridos em hospital guardou relação inversa com a porcentagem de mal definidas.Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de DadosUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Medicina PreventivaUNIFESP, Depto. de Medicina PreventivaSciEL

Macroeconomic Determinants of Bank Spread in Brazil: An Empirical Evaluation

Despite a decline in interest rates since mid-1999, bank spread in Brazil continues extremely high in international terms and in recent years has stood at around 40%. This paper analyses the determinants of bank spread in Brazil, seeking particularly to analyse the macroeconomic determinants of spread in recent times. It uses a VAR model to identify the macroeconomic variables that may directly or indirectly have been influencing spread in Brazil over the period 1994-2005. It presents evidence that interest rate levels and, to a lesser degree, the inflation rate are the main macroeconomic determinants of high bank spread in Brazil.Bank Spread, VAR models, Brazilian banking sector

Random-energy model in random fields

The random-energy model is studied in the presence of random fields. The problem is solved exactly both in the microcanonical ensemble, without recourse to the replica method, and in the canonical ensemble using the replica formalism. The phase diagrams for bimodal and Gaussian random fields are investigated in detail. In contrast to the Gaussian case, the bimodal random field may lead to a tricritical point and a first-order transition. An interesting feature of the phase diagram is the possibility of a first-order transition from paramagnetic to mixed phase.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures (included