Does Italy Have a Stronger National Level of Industry Expertise Than a Local Level?

We examine whether national industry expertise in Italy is more dominant than local expertise. Prior studies from Australia, U.S., and U.K. show that audit fees for industry experts are priced at a higher premium at the local level than the national level. These countries have voluntary audit firm rotation, while Italy has mandatory audit firm rotation (MAFR). We predict that Italy has a stronger national level of industry expertise than a local level, in order to better retain and transfer industry expertise. To investigate, we compare audit fee premiums of national industry experts to local levels. Using hand-collected audit fees, we find that the audit fee premium for industry expertise is greater at the national level than the local level. We find corroborating results with audit hours. To provide further support, we conduct analysis for a neighboring country that does not have audit firm rotation. Using hand-collected data from Germany, we find that audit fee premiums for national industry expertise does not dominate over local industry expertise. Our study has implications for countries that recently adopted mandatory audit firm rotation and for countries that discuss such adoption in the future. However, the larger size of Germany does not rule out that size is a factor

The effectiveness of intarnal controls over financial reporting

This thesis addresses the topic of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. This topic has been widely addressed by the researches in the United States of America (US) after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act due to the increase of responsibilities on these controls. Italy has followed the US regulation with the law number 262 of 2005 and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting have become of the interest of the regulators and of the companies that have to implement their evaluation. The thesis aims to analyze the effectiveness of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. The effectiveness can be analyzed looking at the output of the Internal Controls over Financial Reporting evaluation or looking at the procedures used in this evaluation. The outputs of the evaluation are the Internal Control Deficiencies found and disclosed to the market by the responsible for Internal Controls over Financial Reporting, that usually is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Literature based on Sarbanes-Oxley Act usually uses this approach because in US is possible to have public data on Internal Control Deficiencies disclosed to the market. In Italy this kind of disclosure is limited, thus one part of the thesis analyzes the Internal Control Deficiencies found by the companies but not disclosed to the market because under the materiality level. The thesis looks at the Internal Auditor Detection Process to understand where are the problems that bring to more severe and persistent Internal Control Deficiencies and look for the type of Internal Control Deficiencies more severe and persistent. The idea under this research is to find the more problematic issues where the companies have to focus to increase the effectiveness of their Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Because of this difficulty in data availability for Internal Control Deficiencies, the effectiveness have been analyzed looking at the procedures used to evaluate the Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. The procedures have been analyzed looking at the quality of each phase of the audit cycle. The Internal Controls over Financial Reporting have been divided in its components of Entity Level Controls, Account-specific Controls and Information Technology Controls. Information Technology Controls Quality has been then related to audit risk and audit fees to see the relation between internal controls and external controls performed by external auditors. The idea under this research is that if the internal controls are effective and assure a higher reliability of financial reporting, the external auditors can reduce their work. Finally Information Technology Controls have been deeply investigates in their relevant component of outsourced controls. Based on specific frameworks, one part of the thesis address the Audit Quality of Outsourced Information Technology Controls, that is of significant interest nowadays. The idea under this research is that the evaluation of these controls without going directly in the outsourcers’ location is not enough to assure the effectiveness and the reliability of financial reporting that use the information technology controlled. Even if the standards let to use indirect evaluation or service auditors’ attestations, the thesis proposes to use the direct evaluation for a better effectiveness. Thus, the thesis is structured in three studies: 1. Audit Quality of Outsourced Information Technology Controls. 2. Information Technology Controls Quality and Audit Fees: Evidence from Italy. 3. Internal Auditor Detection Process and Internal Control Deficiencies Types. The order of the presentation follows the advancement of the paper for the publication

A gramaticalização do juntivo todavia na história do português

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar a análise da mudança sintático-semântico-pragmática do juntivo adversativo “todavia” na história do português. Tendo como fundamentação teórica os postulados da gramaticalização, comprovaremos, por meio de análises contextuais que explicam o surgimento do uso conjuncional adversativo do item, a trajetória de mudança advérbio > conjunção. Para análise, utilizamos como corpora dados de escrita de diferentes textos do século XIII até o século XX. Além disso, faremos uma breve discussão do juntivo “todavia” baseada nos estudos de Sweetser (1990) sobre o adversativo italiano tuttavia e o inglês anyway, mostrando as semelhanças do adversativo português com estes adversativos e a importância da metáfora para explicar o processo de mudança

DIAGNÓSTICO E INTERVENCIONES A LA PERSONA CON TRASTORNO MENTAL CON BASE EN LA CONSULTA DE ENFERMERÍA

O estudo objetivou identificar diagnósticos de enfermagem e elaborar plano de cuidado à pessoas com transtorno mental. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de prática assistencial desenvolvida de março a junho de 2008 com 10 pacientes de uma unidade de internação integral feminina, em hospital especializado em psiquiatria situado em um município do Paraná. Os dados foram obtidos por meio da consulta de enfermagem. Da análise, interpretação e julgamento clínico das respostas apresentadas foram obtidos 13 diagnósticos e 57 intervenções de enfermagem, organizados segundo o modelo de estrutura da taxonomia proposto por North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. Foi possível por em prática um agir terapêutico e perceber a possibilidade de elaborar intervenções de enfermagem com a participação do paciente. As atividades e responsabilidades inerentes ao enfermeiro tornaram-se explícitas, bem como a importância da consulta de enfermagem no processo de trabalho.The study aimed to identify nursing diagnoses and elaborate care plans for people with mental disorders. This is care practice research undertaken in March-June 2008 with 10 patients from a female acute psychiatric treatment unit, in a specialized psychiatric hospital in a municipality in Paraná. The data was obtained from the nursing consultations. From the analysis, interpretation and judgment, 13 diagnoses and 57 nursing interventions were obtained, organized according to the model for structuring taxonomy proposed by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. It was possible to put therapeutic action into practice and perceive the possibility of elaborating nursing interventions with the client’s participation. The nurse’s activities and responsibilities become explicit, as well as the importance of the nursing consultation in the work process.El estudio tuvo la finalidad de identificar diagnósticos de enfermería y elaborar plan de cuidado a personas con transtorno mental. Es una investigación de práctica asistencial desarrollada de marzo a junio de 2008 con 10 pacientes de una unidad de internación integral femenina, en hospital especializado en psiquiatría ubicado en un municipio del Paraná. Los datos fueron obtenidos por medio de consulta de enfermería. Del análisis, interpretación y juzgamiento clínico de las respuestas presentadas fueron obtenidos13 diagnósticos y 57 intervenciones de enfermería, organizados segúnel modelo de estructura de taxonomía propuesto por North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. Fue posible poner en práctica un actuar terapéutico y percibir la posibilidad de elaborar intervenciones de enfermería con la participación del paciente. Las actividades y responsabilidades inherentes al enfermero se mostraron explícitas así como la importancia de la consulta de enfermería en el proceso de trabajo

Defining Kawasaki disease and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome-temporally associated to SARS-CoV-2 infection during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Italy: results from a national, multicenter survey

Background: There is mounting evidence on the existence of a Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome-temporally associated to SARS-CoV-2 infection (PIMS-TS), sharing similarities with Kawasaki Disease (KD). The main outcome of the study were to better characterize the clinical features and the treatment response of PIMS-TS and to explore its relationship with KD determining whether KD and PIMS are two distinct entities. Methods: The Rheumatology Study Group of the Italian Pediatric Society launched a survey to enroll patients diagnosed with KD (Kawasaki Disease Group - KDG) or KD-like (Kawacovid Group - KCG) disease between February 1st 2020, and May 31st 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data, treatment information, and patients' outcome were collected in an online anonymized database (RedCAP®). Relationship between clinical presentation and SARS-CoV-2 infection was also taken into account. Moreover, clinical characteristics of KDG during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (KDG-CoV2) were compared to Kawasaki Disease patients (KDG-Historical) seen in three different Italian tertiary pediatric hospitals (Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste; AOU Meyer, Florence; IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa) from January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2019. Chi square test or exact Fisher test and non-parametric Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney test were used to study differences between two groups. Results: One-hundred-forty-nine cases were enrolled, (96 KDG and 53 KCG). KCG children were significantly older and presented more frequently from gastrointestinal and respiratory involvement. Cardiac involvement was more common in KCG, with 60,4% of patients with myocarditis. 37,8% of patients among KCG presented hypotension/non-cardiogenic shock. Coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) were more common in the KDG. The risk of ICU admission were higher in KCG. Lymphopenia, higher CRP levels, elevated ferritin and troponin-T characterized KCG. KDG received more frequently immunoglobulins (IVIG) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) (81,3% vs 66%; p = 0.04 and 71,9% vs 43,4%; p = 0.001 respectively) as KCG more often received glucocorticoids (56,6% vs 14,6%; p < 0.0001). SARS-CoV-2 assay more often resulted positive in KCG than in KDG (75,5% vs 20%; p < 0.0001). Short-term follow data showed minor complications. Comparing KDG with a KD-Historical Italian cohort (598 patients), no statistical difference was found in terms of clinical manifestations and laboratory data. Conclusion: Our study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection might determine two distinct inflammatory diseases in children: KD and PIMS-TS. Older age at onset and clinical peculiarities like the occurrence of myocarditis characterize this multi-inflammatory syndrome. Our patients had an optimal response to treatments and a good outcome, with few complications and no deaths

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis