Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Financial Reporting in the Light of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (An Empirical Study)

The outbreak of a novel type of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the majority of countries around the world has had many negative implications on almost all aspects of life. Currently, about a quarter of the population of Earth is quarantined at their homes, social distancing is effective everywhere, almost all industries have ceased their activities, and various businesses are either closed down or working from home. Procedures taken by governments or local authorities to improve their ability to contain the outbreak have impacted the global economy, which in turn will have many consequences on financial reporting of organizations. This study examines the impact of the novel Coronavirus outbreak on financial reporting of organizations from the viewpoint of Certified Public Accountants in Lebanon. The researchers have used a descriptive-analytical approach and have constructed a well-structured five-point Likert style questionnaire as the study tool. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample chosen from the population of certified public accountants in Lebanon. The random sample consisted of 300 practitioners of the profession, and 221 of them responded; all of which were valid for testing and analysis. The study reached some important findings mainly that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on the financial reporting of businesses according to the opinions of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in Lebanon, and the researchers had some recommendations as a result

Application of Permanent Magnets in Suspension and Recoil Buffer Systems

Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (PMs) has inspired new applications in areas where magnets were not used before due to their outstanding magnetic characteristics. PMs such as Neodymium Iron Boron and Samarium Cobalt are now used extensively in a wide range of applications such as electrical machines, transducers and loudspeakers, energy storage systems, hybrid and electric traction drives, etc. This paper is concerned with the application of modern permanent magnets in automotive suspension systems which may be potentially utilized for recoil buffer systems in defence applications in the future. The objective is to investigate the possibility of replacing the mechanical coil springs with strong PM rings in order to improve the suspension performance and ride comfort. The research is based on the existing suspension of a scooter model type Honda PCX 125. The as-is suspension is first analyzed and the system main parameters, such as dimensions, stiffness and damping coefficients are determined. Mathematical model for the proposed PM rings pull force is developed. Parametric analysis and optimization on the number of magnets and dimensions is performed to achieve the predetermined design requirements. A Matlab/Simscape model for the proposed PM spring model is developed and compared with the as-is rear suspension of the scooter. Results of the simulation are analyzed and conclusions and recommendations for further research are presented at the end of this paper. Keywords: permanent magnet springs, suspensions system, Matlab/simscape model

Folkloric behavior : a theory for the study of the dynamics of traditional culture

Revised edition of dissertation. Revisions from the original print edition held by the library are noted in the preface. Pagination also differs from original print edition."Folklore" may be defined as a class of learned, traditional responses forming a distinct type of behavior. The individual must undergo the psychological process of learning in order to acquire the responses of folkloric behavior, and this learning process occurs under conditions determined by social and cultural factors. The fundamental factors involved in learning are: drive, cue, response, and reward. Secondary factors such as repetition, recency, and ego involvement can contribute, but their presence is not required in the process of learning. Folkloric behavior is distinguishable from non traditional, non folkloric behavior, and consequently, folkloric responses are distinguishable from other classes of responses, such as those characteristic of modern science and technology. Thus, folklorists should initially concern themselves with folkloric responses (narrating, believing, singing, applying a proverb, or dancing) and relevant social and cultural factors before proceeding to the study of the folklore items themselves (narratives, beliefs, songs, proverbs, or dances). Through the application of psychological theories of individual and social learning to folkloric phenomena, we can gain an understanding of the forces affecting the perpetuation or extinction of folklore and thus can explain the function of a particular folkloric response in a particular community

Frequency-Magnitude Distribution of Earthquakes

Frequency magnitude distribution of all types of earthquakes has received considerable attention in the last few decades. Their linear logarithmic relationship remains the most accepted. The a and b constants of this equation, their values and variations have been studied in detail. It is largely agreed that for the seismicity of the whole Earth, its hemispheres, quadrants and large epicentral regions are a=10.0 and b=1.0. The b-variations have long been investigated and reported to occur in different forms and values. Long- and short-term b-variations occur in a continuous cyclic manner and may exceed ± (0.6 – 0.7) of its absolute value. These are observed to occur not only yearly or monthly but also daily. The b-value always attains maxima and minima before and after the occurrence of all large earthquakes. Many days before the occurrence of large earthquakes, b-values start increasing at variable gradients that are affected by foreshocks. It attains a maximum value shortly before each large earthquake and a minimum on its occurrence. Many factors have been proposed to explain the b-variations including prevailing stress, crustal heterogeneity, focal depth, pore pressure, geothermal gradient, tectonic setting, and other factors. Considering the b-variations of the whole Earth, its hemispheres and quadrants and considering that most proposed factors are directly or indirectly related to the stress, it is concluded that this remains the major factor. It is found that for large earthquakes with Mw ≥ 7, an increase of about 0.20 in the b-value implies a stress increase that will result in an earthquake with a magnitude one unit higher