Sunset Company: Risk Analysis For Capital Budgeting Using Simulation And Binary Linear Programming

The Sunset Company case illustrates how the study of linear programming and risk analysis are facilitated with popular spreadsheets and their simulation add-ins.  From new products having a singular expected value for NPV, binary linear programming (BLP) optimally selects the combination of products that maximizes total NPV given capital constraints.  Yet, when probability distributions are used to model risk of the products, an optimized simulation finds a different set of products for a risk adverse strategy.  Advances in spreadsheet technology facilitate accounting educators introducing meaningful modeling and risk analysis into the classroom

Amaya Company: Financial Considerations For Product-Mix LP Models

The Amaya Company case illustrates how financial considerations can be added to product-mix linear programming (LP) models to create a more realistic and robust decision aid.  Most managerial/cost accounting or operations management courses introduce product-mix LP models but without financial considerations such as cash flows and its interest expense, debt covenants, or the time value of money.  Hence, the initial product-mix solution may not be acceptable when managers scrutinize its impact for related financial requirements.  Students completing the Amaya Company case add financial considerations to a product-mix LP problem and examine the resulting change from the misleading initial solution

Integrating Operations Management Into Cost Systems: An Accounting Approach To Linear Programming

Managers rely on information from cost accounting systems in building operations management models to support their decision-making.  Yet, the link between accounting and operations management techniques within a business information system can be improved.  Cost accountants provide critical input for decision models, but, they often have difficulty using decision models and relating results back into the cost accounting information system.  The Keano Macadamia Nut Company is a cross-functional exercise which illustrates a cost accounting system providing data for a linear programming problem; the use of linear programming to obtain a solution to a profit maximization problem, and a connection of the model’s optimal solution back into the cost accounting system

Maile-Ann Company: A Matrix Approach To Reciprocated Support Department Cost Allocations

The reciprocal method for allocating support department costs has been shown to be better than the direct and step-down methods.  In addition, a matrix approach for the reciprocal method has been presented often in academic journals.  Yet, the instructional use of spreadsheet matrix functions for reciprocal cost allocations has been limited as many authors continue to present two-department simultaneous equations solved by algebraic substitutions.  The Maile-Ann Company presents an intuitive matrix approach to allocating reciprocated costs of many support departments.  The case converts commonly used algebraic expressions of support department reciprocated costs into an equivalent matrix relationship.  Spreadsheet matrix functions compute each support department’s reciprocated costs and allocate them to user departments

Stochastic Risk Analysis Of Budgeted Financial Statements

Stochastic modeling of financial statements facilitates risk analysis by explicitly introducing uncertainty for key input variables.  When input variables are modeled as probability distributions, then Monte Carlo simulation can be performed for the budgeted financial statements.  Critical outputs within the financial statements can be displayed with cumulative graphs that show a range of outcomes with its likelihood of occurrence.  Stochastic modeling techniques are superior to scenario analysis in assessing risk and are another innovative use of technology in support of managerial decision-making.  Students for a cost/managerial accounting course reported a better understanding of risk analysis for accounting relationships, and a greater interest in modeling uncertainty in other financial relationships

Estimating Costs With Curvilinear Analyses For Learning

Even when the underlying mathematical relationship for the learning curve is a power function, most popular accounting textbooks perform a logarithmic transformation of the learning curve into a linear relationship.  This transformation allows students to perform linear regression techniques; however, accounting students may be left with the misconception that all costs are linear.  With the enhanced capabilities of spreadsheets, accounting students can now easily perform curvilinear analysis on historical learning data and then forecast costs where learning is present.  The Smart Missile Company exercise illustrates this spreadsheet approach to teaching learning curves

Cost and performance analysis of physical security systems

CPA - Cost and Performance Analysis - is a prototype integration of existing PC-based cost and performance analysis tools: ACEIT (Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools) and ASSESS (Analytic System and Software for Evaluating Safeguards and Security). ACE is an existing DOD PC-based tool that supports cost analysis over the full life cycle of a system; that is, the cost to procure, operate, maintain and retire the system and all of its components. ASSESS is an existing DOE PC-based tool for analysis of performance of physical protection systems. Through CPA, the cost and performance data are collected into Excel workbooks, making the data readily available to analysts and decision makers in both tabular and graphical formats and at both the system and subsystem levels. The structure of the cost spreadsheets incorporates an activity-based approach to cost estimation. Activity-based costing (ABC) is an accounting philosophy used by industry to trace direct and indirect costs to the products or services of a business unit. By tracing costs through security sensors and procedures and then mapping the contributions of the various sensors and procedures to system effectiveness, the CPA architecture can provide security managers with information critical for both operational and strategic decisions. The architecture, features and applications of the CPA prototype are presented. 5 refs., 3 figs

Recent visible light and metal free strategies in [2+2] and [4+2] photocycloadditions

When aiming to synthesize molecules with elevated molecular complexity starting from relatively simple starting materials, photochemical transformations represent an open avenue to circumvent analogous multistep procedures. Specifically, light-mediated cycloadditions remain as powerful tools to generate new bonds begotten from non-very intuitive disconnections, that alternative thermal protocols would not offer. In response to the current trend in both industrial and academic research pointing towards green and sustainable processes, several strategies that meet these requirements are currently available in the literature. This Minireview summarizes [2+2] and [4+2] photocycloadditions that do not require the use of metal photocatalysts by means of alternative strategies. It is segmented according to the cycloaddition type in order to give the reader a friendly approach and we primarily focus on the most recent developments in the field carried out using visible light, a general overview of the mechanism in each case is offered as wellFinancial support was provided by the European Research Council (ERC-CoG, Contract Number: 647550), the Spanish Government (RTI2018-095038-B-I00), the ‘Comunidad de Madrid’ and European Structural Funds (S2018/NMT-4367). R. I. R thanks Fundación Carolina for a graduate fellowshi

Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG):harmonized evaluation strategy

Pathological accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in astrocytes is a frequent, but poorly characterized feature of the aging brain. Its etiology is uncertain, but its presence is sufficiently ubiquitous to merit further characterization and classification, which may stimulate clinicopathological studies and research into its pathobiology. This paper aims to harmonize evaluation and nomenclature of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG), a term that refers to a morphological spectrum of astroglial pathology detected by tau immunohistochemistry, especially with phosphorylation-dependent and 4R isoform-specific antibodies. ARTAG occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in individuals over 60 years of age. Tau-immunoreactive astrocytes in ARTAG include thorn-shaped astrocytes at the glia limitans and in white matter, as well as solitary or clustered astrocytes with perinuclear cytoplasmic tau immunoreactivity that extends into the astroglial processes as fine fibrillar or granular immunopositivity, typically in gray matter. Various forms of ARTAG may coexist in the same brain and might reflect different pathogenic processes. Based on morphology and anatomical distribution, ARTAG can be distinguished from primary tauopathies, but may be concurrent with primary tauopathies or other disorders. We recommend four steps for evaluation of ARTAG: (1) identification of five types based on the location of either morphologies of tau astrogliopathy: subpial, subependymal, perivascular, white matter, gray matter; (2) documentation of the regional involvement: medial temporal lobe, lobar (frontal, parietal, occipital, lateral temporal), subcortical, brainstem; (3) documentation of the severity of tau astrogliopathy; and (4) description of subregional involvement. Some types of ARTAG may underlie neurological symptoms; however, the clinical significance of ARTAG is currently uncertain and awaits further studies. The goal of this proposal is to raise awareness of astroglial tau pathology in the aged brain, facilitating communication among neuropathologists and researchers, and informing interpretation of clinical biomarkers and imaging studies that focus on tau-related indicators

Role Playing and Cooperative Learning in the AIS Course

The accounting information systems course is often viewed as difficult to teach because it contains topics that are less quantifiable and structured in comparison to courses in financial or managerial!cost accounting. Yet, many AIS instructors have developed successful teaching techniques that are suited to the AIS course. A creative teaching approach for the AIS course is that of role-playing organizations and their operations, especially for transaction cycles. In addition, cooperative learning can be nicely coupled with role playing because of their common emphases on social interdependence and shared learning. The benefits and guidelines for cooperative learning and role playing are presented and then illustrated with an example for a transaction cycle of an organization