Diabetes mellitus and surgery: Preparing the diabetic patient to surgery

The perioperative management of diabetic patients implies glicemic normalization before, during and after the procedure. Insulin therapy is always necessary when general anesthesia is considered, and in most cases of epidural analgesia. When ambulatory surgery is envisaged, the usual hypoglycemic treatment can be maintained, provided that a sufficiently good metabolic control is documented. The pathophysiological mechanisms for insulin-resistance in these situations are reviewed, as are the procedures for general clinical evaluation of the patient. The estimation of insulin needs, the problems related with the suspension of oral antidiabetic drugs and the description of the most usual schemes of intensive insulin therapy (namely those of continuous intravenous insulin infusion) are also detailed

Do board characteristics contribute to corporate social responsibility?

This paper examines the association between board characteristics and corporate social responsibility. Using a sample of sample of 102 firms belonging to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Portugal, we construct an index of CSR based on the content analysis of the companies’ sustainability reports and run several regressions of board characteristics and firm-specific controls. Our results demonstrate that firms with greater board size, gender diversity board and board experience are associated with higher levels of corporate social responsibility. Overall, our empirical findings suggest that a stronger board composition may promote more corporate social responsibility and ethical reputation in Portuguese firms.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Impact of corporate governance characteristics on earnings management

The main objective of this study is to analyse the impact of corporate governance characteristics on the levels of earnings management, with reference to British companies listed on the London Stock Exchange between 2014 and 2017. A linear regression model was used, based on discretionary accruals, calculated using Kothari et al. (2005) and corporate governance features. The main results show that the greater the long-term remuneration of the board members, the higher the level of earnings management and the greater the presence of women on this board, the greater the proportion of non-executive members in the audit committee and so the greater the fees paid to external auditors. The findings presented in this study contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between corporate governance and earnings management in UK listed companies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is disclosure of corporate social responsibility associated with financial performance?

The relevance of ethics to the management of modern companies has gradually increased. In recent years, economic, environmental and social information has become a key issue in the strategic agenda of competitive companies. This study investigates the relationship between the disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and firms' performance. We use a sample of 51 firms belonging to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Portugal. We construct an index of CSR based on the content analysis of the companies' sustainability reports. Contrary to previous literature, we did not find a relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure in Portuguese firms and their financial performance. However, additional results demonstrated that social responsibility disclosure in larger firms is associated with a higher level of performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinants of earnings management in the hotel industry: an international perspective

This paper analyzes the determinants of the level of earnings management in a wide sample of listed firms from the hotel industry in 15 countries. The empirical study relies on the discretionary accruals, as an indication of earnings management, and examines the firm and country characteristics that are potentially associated with those discretionary accruals. The results suggest that firm characteristics, including the leverage ratio, cash flow from operations, investment opportunities and the frequency of losses, are the major determinant of earnings management in the hotel industry around the world. Our results also show that firms with five star hotels have different incentives to manipulate earnings, when compared to firms holding lower quality hotels. The hotels’ star rating also seems to play a different role in explaining the level of earnings management in common-law countries, when compared to code-law countries. This paper contributes to the accounting literature by examining the determinants of earnings management of a large panel of firms from the hotel industry and by focusing on the characteristics of the firm and its institutional environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effect of firm and country characteristics on earnings management: Evidence from the hotel industry

This paper explores the determinants of firm and country characteristics in explaining the earnings management in a wide sample of listed firms from the tourism industry in 15 countries over 2007 – 2013. We focus on the level of discretionary accruals as a dimension of earnings management that is particularly responsive to firms’ financial statement incentives and examine the variables that are potentially associated with the earnings management in hotel firms. The results suggest that firm characteristics are the major determinant of earnings management in the hotel industry around the world. Additionally, our results demonstrated that star rating classification is the determinant of earnings management in high development countries. This paper aims to contribute to knowledge about the tourism industry by examining the determinants of earnings management across a large panel of firms and countries and by focusing on both the characteristics of the firm and its institutional environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contracting debt and the quality of financial reporting in private firms

This study investigates whether the quality of firms' financial reporting is influenced by the contracting of debt, using data on Portuguese private firms from 2013 to 2015. More specifically, the study uses earnings smoothing, magnitude of absolute discretionary accruals, and timeliness of disclosure as proxies for financial reporting quality. I find that private firms which contract more debt exhibit higher levels of financial reporting quality. Additionally, firms that contract larger amounts of debt and with a good financial performance tend to exhibit lower quality financial reporting. The results provide strong evidence that private firms have an interest in camouflaging their performance in the presence of higher levels of bank debt.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pharmacological therapy of Cushing's disease

The curative treatment of Cushing's disease is surgery, mainly transphenoidal surgery. The cure probability is high and the risks or complications are few. However, pharmacotherapy is necessary while localisation of the secreting tumour is not achieved, when there is persistence of hypercortisolism after surgery, or while waiting for effectiveness of radiotherapy. We review the existing drugs, their characteristics, mechanisms of action, doses and specific indications

The case study as a teaching tool in management and accounting education: the case of the Pestana group sustainability report

This paper aims to discuss the relevance of the case study methodology as a tool in management accounting education through the presentation of a case study on the Pestana Group. Case studies can be an effective learning tool in class and are popular in higher education, particularly, in business schools. They generally follow a narrative that includes: a problem or a question to solve; the description of the problem and some information about the company's background, sector, etc.; and some data to support the case study, such as, links to URls, images, videos, etc. The Pestana Group case study is based on its sustainability report. The Pestana Group is the largest hospitality company in Portugal. The analysis of this case in class will permit the discussion of strategic topics such as the disclosure of information in a sustainability report in the tourism industry. The case study is divided into three sections: first, we introduce the theoretical support about the use of case study methodology to teach management and accounting topics. Secondly, we present the instructional case study of the Pestana Group, learning objectives, learning outcomes and questions; and finally we conclude with some remarks and reflections.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are auditors attenuate earnings management in private companies? The effect of economic adjustment programmes

This study analyses the relationship between the level of earnings management and the audit of unlisted companies in two countries liable to economic adjustment programmes - Portugal and Ireland - between 2008 and 2016. The choice of these two countries lies in the fact that they both experienced strong financial assistance programmes, and it is pertinent to assess the indebtedness and earnings management phenomenon in this particular economic harsh context. In a sample of 970 unlisted companies, we find evidence of a negative relationship between the audit and the level of earnings management. We also demonstrate that during the period of time in which the financial support occurred, there was mitigation in the relationship between the level of earnings management and audit.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio