The Importance of Audit Firm Characteristics and the Drivers of Auditor Change in UK Listed Companies

This paper explores the importance of audit firm characteristics and the factors motivating auditor change based on questionnaire responses from 210 listed UK companies (a response rate of 70%). Twenty-nine potentially desirable auditor characteristics are identified from the extant literature and their importance elicited. Exploratory factor analysis reduces these variables to eight uncorrelated underlying dimensions: reputation/quality; acceptability to third parties; value for money; ability to provide non-audit services; small audit firm; specialist industry knowledge; non-Big Six large audit firm; and geographical proximity. Insights into the nature of 'the Big Six factor' emerge. Two thirds of companies had recently considered changing auditors; the main reasons cited being audit fee level, dissatisfaction with audit quality and changes in top management. Of those companies that considered change, 73% did not actually do so, the main reasons cited being fee reduction by the incumbent and avoidance of disruption. Thus audit fee levels are both a key precipitator of change and a key factor in retaining the status quo

A Test of Audit Pricing in the Small-Client Segment: A Comment

This study is the second to provide a richer test of the association between auditor size and audit fees by using three audit firm size classes in the small-client segment of the U.S. audit market. The finding of a Big 8 (now Big 6) price premium is consistent with Francis and Simon [1]. However, this price premium exists only with respect to local/regional firms. Francis und Simon showed that the Big 8 price premium exists with respect to both second-tier and local/regional firms. The present study also provides evidence of a second-tier price premium over local/regional firms. The results imply product differentiation to both Big 8 and second-tier firms. Plausible reasons for differences in results between the two studies are given.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Circulation of News and Goods The Transfer of Modern Urban Forms of Living in the German Speaking Press in Prague and Buda-Pest

The conference paper and poster “Circulation of News and Goods: The Transfer of Modern Urban Forms of Living in the German Speaking Press in Prague and Buda-Pest” have been presented at the conference “Borders and Identities 2015: Urban Fragmentation(s)” which was organised by the Centres for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (GWZ) and took place from 16th to 19th March 2015 at the Humboldt University in Berlin (Germany)

MEndoB, a chimeric lysin featuring a novel domain architecture and superior activity for the treatment of staphylococcal infections

One of the most pressing challenges of our era is the rising occurrence of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Staphylococci are prominent pathogens in humans, which have developed multiple strategies to evade the effects of antibiotics. Infections caused by these bacteria have resulted in a high burden on the health care system and a significant loss of lives. In this study, we have successfully engineered lytic enzymes that exhibit an extraordinary ability to eradicate staphylococci. Our findings substantiate the importance of meticulous lead candidate selection to identify therapeutically promising peptidoglycan hydrolases with unprecedented activity. Hence, they offer a promising new avenue for treating staphylococcal infections

Evolutionarily distinct bacteriophage endolysins featuring conserved peptidoglycan cleavage sites protect mice from MRSA infection

Objectives In the light of increasing drug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, bacteriophage endolysins [peptidoglycan hydrolases (PGHs)] have been suggested as promising antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of nine enzymes representing unique homology groups within a diverse class of staphylococcal PGHs. Methods PGHs were recombinantly expressed, purified and tested for staphylolytic activity in multiple in vitro assays (zymogram, turbidity reduction assay and plate lysis) and against a comprehensive set of strains (S. aureus and CoNS). PGH cut sites in the staphylococcal peptidoglycan were determined by biochemical assays (Park-Johnson and Ghuysen procedures) and MS analysis. The enzymes were tested for their ability to eradicate static S. aureus biofilms and compared for their efficacy against systemic MRSA infection in a mouse model. Results Despite similar modular architectures and unexpectedly conserved cleavage sites in the peptidoglycan (conferred by evolutionarily divergent catalytic domains), the enzymes displayed varying degrees of in vitro lytic activity against numerous staphylococcal strains, including cell surface mutants and drug-resistant strains, and proved effective against static biofilms. In a mouse model of systemic MRSA infection, six PGHs provided 100% protection from death, with animals being free of clinical signs at the end of the experiment. Conclusions Our results corroborate the high potential of PGHs for treatment of S. aureus infections and reveal unique antimicrobial and biochemical properties of the different enzymes, suggesting a high diversity of potential applications despite highly conserved peptidoglycan target site

Systemic application of bone-targeting peptidoglycan hydrolases as a novel treatment approach for staphylococcal bone infection

The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus has rendered treatment of staphylococcal infections increasingly difficult, making the discovery of alternative treatment options a high priority. Peptidoglycan hydrolases, a diverse group of bacteriolytic enzymes, show high promise as such alternatives due to their rapid and specific lysis of bacterial cells, independent of antibiotic resistance profiles. However, using these enzymes for the systemic treatment of local infections, such as osteomyelitis foci, needs improvement, as the therapeutic distributes throughout the whole host, resulting in low concentrations at the actual infection site. In addition, the occurrence of intracellularly persisting bacteria can lead to relapsing infections. Here, we describe an approach using tissue-targeting to increase the local concentration of therapeutic enzymes in the infected bone. The enzymes were modified with a short targeting moiety that mediated accumulation of the therapeutic in osteoblasts and additionally enables targeting of intracellularly surviving bacteria

1985 Chogoria Community Health Survey : report of principal findings, October 1987

During August 1985, the Community Health Department of Chogoria Hospital in central Kenya carried out a survey of women of childbearing age throughout the area in which it provides services. This survey, the Chogoria Community Health Survey (CCHS), covered a variety of topics related to maternal and child health and the use of health services. It was designed to gauge various aspects of the health status and needs of the population in the catchment area and, thus, to suggest appropriate strategies and directions for future interventions. The survey also documents the current situation in an area that is reported to be one of the most successful in rural sub-Saharan Africa in regard to maternal and child health and family planning

A Research Note on the Relationship between Regulation and Audit Firm Size on Audit Fees

This study represents an initial attempt to examine some specific factors that might lead to large firms' economies of scale. Multiple regression analysis is used to test hypotheses concerning scale opportunities conferred on large CPA firms in dealing with regulatory complexity faced by the client. An analysis of interaction between audit firm size and variables measuring client regulatory complexity shows that audit fees are lower for all firms in regulated industries compared to nonregulated industries—the difference being much greater, however, for Big Eight (now Big Six) firms, and audit fees charged by Big Eight firms are much lower when the auditor is involved with client security registrations. This relationship does not hold true for non-Big Eight firms involved with client registration statements. Based on these results, it appears that client regulatory complexity confers greater scale opportunities to larger audit firms compared to smaller ones.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline