The effect of economic conditions on accounting conservatism under IFRS in Europe

We analyse in detail conservative accounting practices in seventeen European countries, taking into account institutional factors. In addition, we examine the impact of IFRS adoption and the influence of changes in economic conditions on conditional conservatism. Specifically, we study the level of accounting conservatism before and after IFRS adoption detailing for the pre and crisis period and post-crisis period surrounding the 2007/2008 financial crisis. Our findings are consistent with a conservative accounting practice in Europe as a whole and in each country individually. Besides, opposite to that expected, the results provide evidence of more conservative accounting practice in Anglo-Saxon countries, but we find no significant differences in conservatism in Nordic countries. Another finding is a significant decrease in the level of conservatism after IFRS adoption. Regarding the joint impact of IFRS adoption and economic conditions, we find a decrease in conservatism in the pre and crisis period, followed by a substantial increase in the post-crisis period. Our results seem to be in line with the positive accounting theory when suggesting that conservatism plays a fundamental role as corporate governance and efficient contracting mechanism between managers and other stakeholders of the firm. Furthermore, the results suggest that the flexibility provided by IFRS allows adjusting the level of conservatism when economic conditions change.The authors would like to thank all organisers, referees, and discussant of the 17th International Conference on Finance and Banking, in particular Daniel Stavárek. We also would like to acknowledge the Reviewers of Review of Economic Perspectives for their careful reading of this paper and helpful suggestions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implicación de las quinasas dependientes de ciclinas en el ciclo celular y la respuesta frente a daño al ADN

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica. Fecha de lectura: 1 de Abril de 200

Sampling the Whole Materials Space for Conventional Superconducting Materials

We perform a large scale study of conventional superconducting materials using a machine-learning accelerated high-throughput workflow. We start by creating a comprehensive dataset of around 7000 electron-phonon calculations performed with reasonable convergence parameters. This dataset is then used to train a robust machine learning model capable of predicting the electron-phonon and superconducting properties based on structural, compositional, and electronic ground-state properties. Using this machine, we evaluate the transition temperature (Tc ) of approximately 200000 metallic compounds, all of which on the convex hull of thermodynamic stability (or close to it) to maximize the probability of synthesizability. Compounds predicted to have Tc values exceeding 5 K are further validated using density-functional perturbation theory. As a result, we identify 545 compounds with Tc values surpassing 10 K, encompassing a variety of crystal structures and chemical compositions. This work is complemented with a detailed examination of several interesting materials, including nitrides, hydrides, and intermetallic compounds. Particularly noteworthy is LiMoN2 , which we predict to be superconducting in the stoichiometric trigonal phase, with a Tc exceeding 38 K. LiMoN2 has been previously synthesized in this phase, further heightening its potential for practical applications

Does earnings management affect idiosyncratic volatility

This paper examines the association between earnings management and firm-specific return volatility for a sample of firms listed on the London Stock Exchange. Identifying the determinants of idiosyncratic volatility has been a topical issue since the Campbell et al. (2001) study which documents a noticeable increase in average firm-level volatility across time. Using panel data, we find that poor information environments resulting from earnings management is associated with higher firm-specific return volatility. This finding is consistent with the noise-based approach of firm-specific return volatility. In addition we provide empirical evidence that such association gets stronger when combining accruals quality and the dispersion in analysts’ forecast to describe a poor information environment. Furthermore, we find that poor information environment, leverage and the intensity of information disclosure tend to increase idiosyncratic return volatility, while older, more profitable and larger firms tend exhibit lower levels of idiosyncratic volatility. These results are likely to contribute to the debate on whether firm-specific return volatility captures more firm-specific information being impounded in stock prices or essentially reflects noise.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Representação da morte nas capas das revistas semanais Veja e Istoé

Using, mainly, the concepts of Social Discourse Theory, this paper investigates the representation of death in the cover of weekly magazines Veja and IstoÉ, in the period from July 2004 to July 2005. Considering covers as privileged space of meaning process, we analyze the discursive strategies used by the magazines in the constitution of the subject death, basic theme to humankind.Utilizando, principalmente, conceptos de la Teoría de los Discursos Sociales, este artículo investiga la representación de la muerte en las portadas de las revistas semanales Veja e IstoÉ, en el periodo de julio del 2004 a julio del 2005. Partiendo del principio de que las portadas son espacios privilegiados de producción de sentidos, se analizan las estrategias discursivas utilizadas por las revistas en la constitución del concepto muerte, tema básico para la humanidad.Utilizando-se, principalmente, de conceitos da Teoria dos Discursos Sociais, este artigo investiga a representação da morte nas capas das revistas semanais Veja e IstoÉ, no período de julho de 2004 a julho de 2005. Partindo do princípio de que as capas são espaços privilegiados de produção de sentidos, analisam-se as estratégias discursivas utilizadas pelas revistas na constituição do conceito morte, tema básico para a humanidade.-Using, mainly, the concepts of Social Discourse Theory, this paper investigates the representation of death in the cover of weekly magazines Veja and IstoÉ, in the period from July 2004 to July 2005. Considering covers as privileged space of meaning process, we analyze the discursive strategies used by the magazines in the constitution of the subject death, basic theme to humankind.-Utilizando, principalmente, conceptos de la Teoría de los Discursos Sociales, este artículo investiga la representación de la muerte en las portadas de las revistas semanales Veja e IstoÉ, en el periodo de julio del 2004 a julio del 2005. Partiendo del principio de que las portadas son espacios privilegiados de producción de sentidos, se analizan las estrategias discursivas utilizadas por las revistas en la constitución del concepto muerte, tema básico para la humanidad

Management of Operational Parameters and Novel Spinneret Configurations for the Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Functional Polymers

[EN] Functional materials have become key drivers in the development of multiple high-end technologies. Electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP) is a straightforward method to generate polymer micro- and nanostructures that can be applied to the food, pharmaceutical, environmental, and biomedical areas, among others, since these can yield materials with higher performance. Some of the EHDP's advantages over other polymer processing technologies rely on its high versatility, by which the final assembly can be modified in different ways to combine materials with multiple properties and also in different morphological structures, and the use of room processing conditions, meaning that thermolabile ingredients can be incorporated with minimal activity loss. This review provides the historical background, process basics, and the state-of-the-art of the most recent advances achieved in the EHDP technology dealing with the control of its operational parameters to optimize processability and achieve end-product quality and homogeneity. It also focuses on the newly developed modes of operation and spinneret configurations that can lead to the formation of a wide range of micro- and nanostructures with different functionalities and solve some of its current technical limitations. Finally, it also further highlights the potential applications of the resultant hierarchical functional polymer-based materials obtained by these novel EHDP methods.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and by the I&D&I AgriFood XXI project, operation number NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) under the scope of NORTE 2020 (ProgramaOperacional Regional do Norte 2014/2020). Pedro Silva is the recipient of a fellowship (SFRD/BD/130247/2017) supported by FCT. S. TorresGiner acknowledges Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) for the funding received during his Ramon y Cajal contract (RYC2019027784-I).Silva, PM.; Torres-Giner, S.; Vicente, AA.; Cerqueira, MA. (2022). Management of Operational Parameters and Novel Spinneret Configurations for the Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Functional Polymers. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 307(5):1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202100858121307

Modelagem de processos do Código de Processo Penal com BPMN

Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Ciência da Computação, 2017.Esta monografia consiste em um estudo sobre a adequação de uma notação de modelagem de processos – a BPMN – à área legal. A modelagem de processos jurídicos está em crescimento no campo da informática legal, principalmente, no que concerne a administração pública e e-Government. A maioria dos trabalhos propostos na área possuem um viés administrativo e, como contrapartida, este trabalho surge para abordar um caráter muitas vezes negligenciado: o normativo. Prover uma representação gráfica de processos jurídicos pode ser uma grande vantagem para aqueles que querem entendê-las e analisálas, como cidadãos e juristas. Neste trabalho, modelamos algumas fases do Código de Processo Penal, fazendo uso somente do texto legal, de forma a propor modelos que relacionam os artigos com os elementos da BPMN. Por meio dos diagramas produzidos, buscamos facilitar o entendimento destas fases e das competências dos envolvidos. Esta monografia contribui apontando a importância da modelagem de processos jurídicos e apresentando possíveis dificuldades. Trabalhos futuros incluem melhorias no uso dos elementos da BPMN, relacionamento aprofundado das leis com estes elementos e execução dos diagramas.This monograph consists of a study on the adequacy of a process modeling notation – BPMN – to the legal area. The modeling of legal processes is growing in the field of legal informatics, mainly in what concerns the public administration and e-Government. Most of the works proposed in the area have an administrative bias and, as a counterpart, this work arises to address a topic often neglected: the normative one. Providing a graphical representation of legal processes can be of great use for those who want to understand and analyze them, such as citizens and jurists. In this work, we model some phases of the Criminal Procedure Code, using only the legal text, in order to propose models that relate the articles to the BPMN elements. Through the diagrams produced, we seek to facilitate the understanding of these phases and the competences of those involved. This monograph contributes by pointing out the significance of modeling legal processes and to show possible difficulties. Future work includes improvements in the use of BPMN elements, in-depth relationship of laws with these elements, and the execution of diagrams

Espectroscopia Raman na caracterização de alimentos: a castanha como exemplo

A castanha é um fruto sazonal mediterrânico, com uma importância económica significativa em algumas regiões, estando Portugal entre os 5 maiores produtores deste fruto na Europa, com um total superior a 20 000 ton. e um valor directo para os produtores de mais de 20 milhões de Euros. A comercialização e valorização deste fruto assentam sobretudo no seu calibre. Na indústria, a produção de subprodutos a partir da castanha, com maior valor acrescentado, como o “marron glacé” (castanha caramelizada), tem em conta não só o seu calibre como as diferentes variedades de castanhas. Diferentes variedades apresentam diferentes características físicas e químicas que facilitam o seu processamento industrial ou o inviabilizam, se esta não for a adequada. A possibilidade de utilizar ferramentas que permitam a sua fácil e rápida discriminação pode ser uma mais-valia para todo o sector, do produtor à indústria. Neste trabalho preliminar procurou-se ver até que ponto a Espectroscopia Raman permite (ou não) a discriminação de duas variedades de castanha da região de Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. Os resultados preliminares evidenciam modos vibracionais dos constituintes da castanha, nomeadamente amido. Relativamente à possibilidade de diferenciação de variedades de castanhas estes resultados preliminares parecem indicar a necessidade de análises complementares, que serão objecto de trabalho futuro.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

NVP: A Network Virtualization Proxy for Software Defined Networking

The combination of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) can improve the control and utilization of network resources. However, this issue still requires proper solutions to virtualize large-scale networks, which would allow the use of SDN and Virtualization in real environments.Thus, this paper proposes a virtualization architecture for SDN that relies on a proxy-based approach. The NVP (Network Virtualization Proxy) is a virtualization proxy that intercepts messages exchanged between controllers and switches SDN enabling network virtualization. An implementation of the proposal was developed as a proof of concept and load testing was performed showing that the solution can provide network virtualization in a scalable manner, using less than 2.5 MB of memory to manage 100 switches performing simultaneous requests, whereas FlowVisor requires more than 200 MB