Separation – integration – and now …? - An historical perspective on the relationship between German management accounting and financial accounting

German accounting has traditionally followed a dual ledger approach with strictly separated internal cost accounting, as the basis for management information, and external financial accounting focusing on creditor protection and based on the commercial law. However, the increased adoption of integrated accounting system implies a significant change in the relationship between financial and management accounting systems. We use Hegelian dialectic to trace the historical development of German accounting from separated systems towards antithetical propositions of full integration, and the emergence of partial integration as the synthesis of this transformation process. For this reason, our paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature on the relationship between financial and management accounting in Germany. On this basis, we elaborate how financial accounting in Germany has been shaped by its economic context and legislation, and how financial accounting – accompanied by institutional pressures – in turn influenced management accounting. We argue that the changing relationship between management and financial accounting in the German context illustrates how current accounting practice is shaped not only by its environment, but also by its historical path. Based on this reasoning, we discuss several avenues for future research

Detection and verification of malting quality QTLs using wild barley introgression lines

A malting quality quantitative trait locus (QTL) study was conducted using a set of 39 wild barley introgression lines (hereafter abbreviated with S42ILs). Each S42IL harbors a single marker-defined chromosomal segment from the wild barley accession ‘ISR 42-8’ (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum) within the genetic background of the elite spring barley cultivar ‘Scarlett’ (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare). The aim of the study was (1) to verify genetic effects previously identified in the advanced backcross population S42, (2) to detect new QTLs, and (3) to identify S42ILs exhibiting multiple QTL effects. For this, grain samples from field tests in three different environments were subjected to micro malting. Subsequently, a line × phenotype association study was performed with the S42ILs in order to localize putative QTL effects. A QTL was accepted if the trait value of a particular S42IL was significantly (P < 0.05) different from the recurrent parent as a control, either across all tested environments or in a particular environment. For eight malting quality traits, altogether 40 QTLs were localized, among which 35 QTLs (87.5%) were stable across all environments. Six QTLs (15.0%) revealed a trait improving wild barley effect. Out of 36 QTLs detected in a previous advanced backcross QTL study with the parent BC2DH population S42, 18 QTLs (50.0%) could be verified with the S42IL set. For the quality parameters α-amylase activity and Hartong 45°C, all QTLs assessed in population S42 were verified by S42ILs. In addition, eight new QTL effects and 17 QTLs affecting two newly investigated traits were localized. Two QTL clusters harboring simultaneous effects on eight and six traits, respectively, were mapped to chromosomes 1H and 4H. In future, fine-mapping of these QTL regions will be conducted in order to shed further light on the genetic basis of the most interesting QTLs

Food Quality Affects Secondary Consumers Even at Low Quantities: An Experimental Test with Larval European Lobster

The issues of food quality and food quantity are crucial for trophic interactions. Although most research has focussed on the primary producer – herbivore link, recent studies have shown that quality effects at the bottom of the food web propagate to higher trophic levels. Negative effects of poor food quality have almost exclusively been demonstrated at higher food quantities. Whether these negative effects have the same impact at low food availability in situations where the majority if not all of the resources are channelled into routine metabolism, is under debate. In this study a tri-trophic food chain was designed, consisting of the algae Rhodomonas salina, the copepod Acartia tonsa and freshly hatched larvae of the European lobster Homarus gammarus. The lobster larvae were presented with food of two different qualities (C∶P ratios) and four different quantities to investigate the combined effects of food quality and quantity. Our results show that the quality of food has an impact on the condition of lobster larvae even at very low food quantities. Food with a lower C∶P content resulted in higher condition of the lobster larvae regardless of the quantity of food. These interacting effects of food quality and food quantity can have far reaching consequences for ecosystem productivity

Zur Quantifizierung der Risikoprämien deutscher Versicherungsaktien im Kontext eines Multifaktorenmodells

Vorgestellt wird eine empirische Studie, welche den Zusammenhang zwischen Rendite und Risiko für ein Sample deutscher Versicherungsaktien im Zeitraum 1975-1998 untersucht. Als Methode wurde ein Multifaktorenmodell mit makroökonomischen Faktoren verwendet. Je nach Untersuchungszeitraum beläuft sich der Anteil der erklärten Varianz auf 9,29% bis 13,62%. Es konnte eine signifikanter negativer Einfluß zwischen der Veränderung des allgemeinen Zinsniveaus und den Risikoprämien von Versicherungsaktien identifiziert werden. Weiterhin ist Wechselkurses der DM zum US-Dollar signifikant