Analyzing Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting: Italy, European Union and the United States

Globalization has revealed a need for accounting language simplification and harmonization, both for business and Public Administration. However, many countries have recently undertaken governmental accounting and financial reporting reforms in order to increase transparency and accountability towards taxpayers and, more generally, all stakeholders. Given that a standardized model does not exist, this study compares Italy, the European Union, and the USA in order to highlight similarities and differences between their current accounting and financial reporting models, to understand if common elements exist, and to verify if they are coherent with international trends concerning public sector accounting reforms

Public sector financial reforms: which convergence between European member States?

Many countries have recently undertaken government accounting and financial reporting reforms, at central and local level, in order to meet transparency, accountability and comparison needs. In the meantime, the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board issued the first set of accounting standards specifically dedicated to public sector. But their adoption is not compulsory, so not all countries referred to them in reforming their government financial reporting. Given that a standardised government accounting and financial reporting model does not exist, this study compares three European countries (France, Italy and the United Kingdom) and one supranational institution (European Union) in order to highlight similarities and differences between accounting reforms recently carried out at central level. The aim of the paper is to verify if a set of common elements can be identified, as to consider them a first step towards European central government financial reporting harmonization

Amministrazioni pubbliche locali e competitività di imprese: quale sostegno ai processi di internazionalizzazione?

Il presente lavoro intende fornire un contributo all'approfondimento del ruolo svolto dalle amministrazioni pubbliche regionali e locali italiane nel sostegno della competitività delle imprese, con particolare riferimento alla loro internazionalizzazione. Date le caratteristiche del nostro tessuto economico-produttivo, infatti, questa sembra rappresentare uno dei nodi cruciali attraverso cui passa la competitivit del Paese tutto. Effettuando una ricognizione dei soggetti pubblici coinvolti, ci si sofferma sulle relazioni che li legano e sulle modalit di formulazione ed attuazione delle strategie di supporto all'internazionalizzazione delle imprese. Nella parte finale sono riportati i risultati di una ricerca empirica condotta in riferimento alla Regione Marche.

Managing solid urban waste in Italy. An economic, financial, and environmental performance analysis

This work focuses on municipal solid waste management companies operating in Italy, with the aim of ascertaining whether "best practices" - here expressed in terms of separate collection - are adequately disseminated, to light of the provisions of the EU with reference to the circular economy. This analysis is accompanied by the evaluation of the economic and financial performance of the selected companies, which in carrying out their activities must operate in \u201clasting economic balance\u201d conditions, to ensure continuity of management and provision of the service to the community. The results concern a group of companies operating in about 900 municipalities located throughout the country and highlight a rather varied situation; nevertheless, the North appears to be the area in which the most efficient companies on average operate, which perform the service with a higher level of separate waste collection despite the lower unitary revenue both per ton collected and per inhabitant served

Twenty Years of XBRL: What We Know and Where We Are Going

Purpose This paper extends the knowledge of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to synthesize what twenty years of accounting and business literature on XBRL suggests about the effective improvement from its implementation in financial reporting. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 142 articles resulted in the identification of five primary research streams: adoption issues; financial reporting; decision-making processes, market efficiency and corporate governance; audit and assurance issues; and non-financial reporting. Findings The results reveal a scarcity of studies devoted to explicating the consequences of XBRL implementation on financial reporting. Also, some papers’ results question the usefulness of the language on the decision-making process. The overall lack of literature concerning the impact of XBRL on financial statement preparers, especially with reference to SMEs, is evident. Moreover, the consequences on corporate governance choices and the relevant internal decision-making processes are rarely debated. Research limitations/implications The findings are useful for users of companies’ financial disclosure policies, particularly for regulators who manage XBRL implementation in countries where XBRL has not yet been adopted as well as for others working in specific areas of financial disclosure, such as non-financial reporting and public sector financial reporting. Originality/value This study differs from previous literature on XBRL as it focuses on a wider period of analysis and offers a unique methodology – combination of bibliometric and systematic review – as well as a business perspective for deepening XBRL

Genetic deletion of neuronal PPARγ enhances the emotional response to acute stress and exacerbates anxiety: An effect reversed by rescue of amygdala PPARγ function

PPARγ is one of the three isoforms of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs). PPARγ is activated by thiazolidinediones such as pioglitazone, and it is targeted to treat insulin resistance. PPARγ is densely expressed in brain areas involved in regulation of motivational and emotional processes.Here, we investigated the role of PPARγ in the brain and explored its role in anxiety and stress responses in mice. The results show that stimulation of PPARγ by pioglitazone did not affect basal anxiety but fully prevented the anxiogenic effect of acute stress. Using mice with genetic ablation of neuronal PPARγ (PPARγ(NestinCre)), we demonstrated that a lack of receptors, specifically in neurons, exacerbated basal anxiety and enhanced stress sensitivity. The administration of GW9662, a selective PPARγ antagonist, elicited a marked anxiogenic response in PPARγ wild-type (Wt) but not in PPARγ(NestinCre) KO mice. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry we observed that acute stress exposure resulted in a different pattern of neuronal activation in the amygdala and the hippocampus of PPARγ(NestinCre) KO mice compared with Wt mice. No differences were found between Wt and KO mice in hypothalamic regions responsible for hormonal response to stress, nor in blood corticosterone levels. Microinjection of pioglitazone, into the amygdala but not into the hippocampus abolished the anxiogenic response elicited by acute stress. Results also showed that in both regions PPARγ co-localizes with GABAergic cells. These findings demonstrate that neuronal PPARγ is involved the regulation of the stress response, and that the amygdala is a key substrate for the anxiolytic effect of PPARγ

Development and application of a microarray meter tool to optimize microarray experiments

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Successful microarray experimentation requires a complex interplay between the slide chemistry, the printing pins, the nucleic acid probes and targets, and the hybridization milieu. Optimization of these parameters and a careful evaluation of emerging slide chemistries are a prerequisite to any large scale array fabrication effort. We have developed a 'microarray meter' tool which assesses the inherent variations associated with microarray measurement prior to embarking on large scale projects.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The microarray meter consists of nucleic acid targets (reference and dynamic range control) and probe components. Different plate designs containing identical probe material were formulated to accommodate different robotic and pin designs. We examined the variability in probe quality and quantity (as judged by the amount of DNA printed and remaining post-hybridization) using three robots equipped with capillary printing pins.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The generation of microarray data with minimal variation requires consistent quality control of the (DNA microarray) manufacturing and experimental processes. Spot reproducibility is a measure primarily of the variations associated with printing. The microarray meter assesses array quality by measuring the DNA content for every feature. It provides a post-hybridization analysis of array quality by scoring probe performance using three metrics, a) a measure of variability in the signal intensities, b) a measure of the signal dynamic range and c) a measure of variability of the spot morphologies.</p

Zearalenone production and growth in drinking water inoculated with Fusarium graminearum

Production of the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) was examined in drinking water inoculated with Fusarium graminearum. The strain employed was isolated from a US water distribution system. ZEN was purified with an immunoaffinity column and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The extracellular yield of ZEN was 15.0 ng l−1. Visual growth was observed. Ergosterol was also indicative of growth and an average of 6.2 μg l−1 was obtained. Other compounds were also detected although remain unidentified. There is no equivalent information available. More work is required on metabolite expression in water as mycotoxins have consequences for human and animal health. The levels detected in this study were low. Water needs to be accepted as a potential source as it attracts high quality demands in terms of purity.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT