A squared rank assessment of the difference between US and European firm valuation ratios

Financial ratios are useful in determining the financial strengths and weaknesses of firms. The most commonly used methods for comparing firms through financial ratios are multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple discriminant analysis (MDA). These methods have been very often used for inferential purposes when the underlying assumptions (e.g. random sampling, normality, homogeneity of variances...) are not met. A method for comparing firm financial ratios is proposed, it is based on squared ranks and does not require any particular assumption because it is a descriptive method. The proposed method is devised to explicitly consider the possible difference in variances and to take also into account the dependence among the financial ratios. It is robust against skewness and heavy tailness. This aspect is very important because usually financial ratios, even after removing outliers, are highly skewed and heavy tailed. An application for studying the difference between US and European firms is discussed

Of mites and bees: A review of mite-bee associations in Australia and a revision of Raymentia Womersley (Acari : Mesostigmata : Laelapidae), with the description of two new species of mites from Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) spp. (Hymenoptera : Halictidae)

Social bees have a diverse fauna of symbiotic mesostigmatic mites, including highly pathogenic parasites of the honeybee, but there are few reports of Mesostigmata phoretic on or inhabiting the nests of solitary or communal, ground-nesting bees. In south-eastern Australia, however, native bees in the family Halictidae carry what appears to be a substantial radiation of host-specific mesostigmatans in the family Laelapidae. Herein, we redescribe the obscure genus Raymentia , associated with Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes ) spp. bees (Halictidae) and describe two new species, R. eickwortiana from L. lacthium (Smith) and R. walkeriana from L. atronitens (Cockerell). The type species, R. anomala Womersley, is associated with L. altichum (Smith). In addition, we review the mites known to be associated with Australian bees, provide a key to differentiate them, and describe and illustrate acarinaria of the Halictinae. We also report on the first occurrences in Australia of the genera Trochometridium Cross (Heterostigmata: Trochometridiidae), from L. eremaean Walker (Halictidae), and Cheletophyes Oudemans (Prostigmata: Cheyletidae) from Xylocopa Latreille (Xylocopinae), and on the previously unknown association between a Neocypholaelaps Vitzthum (Mesostigmata: Ameroseiidae) and Lipotriches tomentifera (Friese) (Halictidae)